Finding Yourself
by BlackHawk's Child
Summary: "It's okay to let someone else be strong for you when you've been strong alone for so long." - High School AU. Two kids. Similar pasts. Find the same path. - No flames: trolling is reported then deleted. Rated for later chapters.
1. The New Kid In Town

**Chapter One: The New Kid In Town**

"Clint Barton to the principal's office, thank you," came Maria Hill's voice over the intercom. The kid is question simply groaned as he sat on the roof of the school, ignoring everyone. But now that he'd been called to the principal's office, his plan to ignore everyone apart from when in class had just been ruined.

' _Great_ ,' he thought as he climbed down, bringing his bag with him. _'What did I do this time?_ '

Clint quickly made his way to the principal's office, successfully managing to avoid anyone who wanted to talk to him. He wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone today.

Clint arrived at the office, finding his uncle there as well. "Uncle Phil," Clint greeted, raising a confused eyebrow at the man who practically lived in a suit. "I know I didn't get into a brawl again. So why were you called?" Phil was also the school's career guidance counselor but Clint couldn't figure out why he or his uncle were there.

"Principal Fury wants you to show our new transfer student around for the next two weeks. She's originally from Russia. Her life there wasn't easy. Fury thought it would be best if someone with a similar childhood showed her around," Phil informed him quietly. Very few people in the school knew about Clint's childhood. In fact, it was only Phil, the vice-principal Maria Hill and Nick Fury who knew within the school. And despite all of his friends, Clint wanted to keep it that way. Except, the new student might figure it out.

"Does this kid have the same as me?" the seventeen-year-old asked quietly, putting his hands in his hoodies' pockets.

"No, she doesn't." That's all Clint needed to know.

Clint nodded. Phil had said she had a rough childhood. From personal experience, he knew what the new girl would be going through. "When does she start?" he asked, glancing at the closed door of Fury's office.

"Today. She's getting her schedule," Phil replied just as the door opened. "That would be our cue."

Clint followed Phil into the office, his hands still in his pockets. Fury was sitting behind the desk, with Hill to his right and a young red-haired girl in front of him. Clint waited patiently for an introduction.

"Ah, Phil. It's good to see you," Fury greeted politely – it was unusual for the principal to be so polite but he did have teachers who never seemed to be on his bad side. Two of whom were Maria and Phil. "Natasha, I'd like you to meet the school's guidance counselor, Phil Coulson, and his nephew, Clint Barton. Mr. Barton will be showing you around the school," he introduced, gesturing to the two men. "Phil, Clint, this is Natasha Romanoff."

Clint mentally raised an eyebrow when the girl turned to look at them; she was beautiful. Clint had been in short relationships with a few girls but looking at Natasha, she put them all to shame.

"Hello," she greeted, shaking hands with both Phil and Clint.

"Hello, Ms. Romanoff. Welcome to SHIELD High School," Phil greeted, smiling reassuringly at the red-head. "I hope that my nephew here won't teach you any of his bad habits," he added, smirking knowingly at Clint.

"You're my legal guardian. That means that when I act out, I'm your responsibility," Clint replied, smirking at his uncle and rolling his eyes at him. "Don't mind him," he said to Natasha, "He's just trying to wind me up."

Natasha simply raised a slightly amused eyebrow at the two but said nothing.

"Barton, you two have the next two periods off. I want you to show Natasha around the school. Show her where her classes will be. And don't get into any trouble," Fury instructed.

"Sitwell and Gonzoles aren't going to like me skipping their classes," Clint pointed out, not really caring whether or not either of the two tried to give him detention for skipping their classes. Again.

"They've already been informed," Hill spoke up, biting back a smirk when Clint's eyes lit up. "You don't have to worry about either today."

The bell rang for the start of the new period. "We'll get out of your hair so," Clint stated, stepping closer to the door, listening to the other students disappear from the halls. "Or is there anything else you need to discuss?"

"No, that's all for now. Will you please show Natasha around the school, and show her where her classes will be?"

Clint nodded and opened the door, waiting for Natasha to follow him. Once the door closed behind them, he turned to her and asked, "So where do you want to go first?"

 **So… How was that for a first chapter?**

 **And thank you to Ashley for agreeing to co-write this story with me. I wouldn't be able to do this without you :)**


	2. Friends

**Chapter Two: Friends**

 _Clint nodded and opened the door, waiting for Natasha to follow him. Once the door closed behind them, he turned to her and asked, "So where do you want to go first?"_

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You really don't want to be here, do you?" she asked, her voice low and husky. Clint immediately liked it but he didn't show any unnecessary emotions.

"Oh, don't worry I'd always rather anything other than Sitwell and Gonzales' classes. They're the biggest pricks in the school," he replied, smirking slightly at the red-head. "What's your schedule like? We can go by that and then to the other stuff," he offered; he noticed she was slightly tense, watching everything around her. Like he always seemed to do.

Natasha handed him her schedule; she had the exact same schedule as he did;  
Period A - Science - Mr. Jasper Sitwell  
Period B - History - Ms. Isabelle Hartley  
Period C - Art - Mr. Daniel Whitehall  
Period D - French - Ms. Melinda May  
Period E - Math - Mr. Robert Gonzales  
Period F - English - Ms. Victoria Hand  
Period G - P.E - Mr. John Garrett

"Well, this makes it easier for us," he commented, looking up at her. "Same classes."

Natasha nodded, taking her schedule back off Clint. "Where to first?" she asked, looking around the hallway. She was quiet enough, but that wasn't unexpected for a new kid in a school in a different country.

Clint thought for a moment; since it was Thursday, the first two classes were Science and Math followed by French. Melinda May, who also happened to be his aunt, taught French so he would mind if he missed that class. "Okay. I will show you where French is first. Then the Art, English, History, P.E. and then Science and Math," he told her simply, pausing to see if she wanted to ask anything; she didn't. Not that he minded; he didn't want his bad mood to rub off her on her first day.

Clint showed Natasha to the first three classrooms in the order that he had told her. He didn't say much to Natasha either, just basic stuff she needed to know. He noticed that Natasha liked the quiet. And her space; there was at least three feet between them at all times, something he didn't mind. As the bell rang for the end of first period, he brought her to the lunchroom, trying to avoid any of his friends. But he wasn't that lucky.

"Oi, Barton, where the fuck were you for Sitwell's class?" an obnoxious voice came over the loud hustle and bustle of kids trying to get to class on time.

Clint groaned and slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice. "Stark, what do you want this time?" he asked, making his voice sound bored and standoffish; he really didn't want to listen to the Billionaire kid genius today. Or for the rest of the week. He nodded in greeting to Pepper Potts, Tony's girlfriend and their Class President.

Tony Stark was a scrawny enough kid, black hair and a goatee that was scruffy but no one really cared. His father was a Billionaire weapons manufacturer and a genius too. So Tony's genius ran in the genes of his family.

Stark stopped and casted his eyes over Natasha. "Who's the hottie, Barton? Your new girlfriend?" Clint simply glared at Tony as did Pepper. Noticing the death glares, Tony raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. Okay. I'll stop. See you at lunch," he offered, quickly exiting the lunchroom; he didn't want to become Clint's new target practice. Pepper nodded kindly at Natasha and Clint before following her boyfriend in an attempt to stop him from pissing someone else off.

"Friends?" Natasha asked when they were alone again.

"Unfortunately. That was Anthony Stark but everyone calls him Tony. He's a genius billionaire kid but a real pain in the ass sometimes. The girl was Pepper Potts. Our Class President. And Tony's girlfriend," Clint replied, glancing down at his watch. "I should show you to the rest of the necessary places," he added, looking up at her. Her red hair was curly and brought up in a messy pony tail. She was wearing a dark hoodie and black skinny jeans. Her bag was slung over her left shoulder and she had her arms crossed in front of her chest protectively. She looked uncomfortable. "You okay?"

Natasha nodded, glancing at Clint; he had unruly spiky brown-blonde hair, sharp grey-blue eyes, a square jaw, a rugged nose (broken a few times from the looks of it), broad shoulders, built arms (natural not those steroid pumped ones) and he was at least 5'11". She felt fairly small in comparison despite her average 5'7". She glanced at the exit of the lunchroom. "Where to next?"

"History. Then the gym. And then Science and Math," he replied, adding mentally, 'Although, I'm not looking forward to listening to Sitwell or Gonzales giving me lectures. Especially not in front of Natasha.'

Natasha nodded and followed Clint out of the lunchroom. She noticed the difference between the main front office and Fury's private office; Nick's office was more utilitarian and sterile except for the personal pictures of his and Maria's son, Tyler. The main office, on the other hand, had more cluttered shelves with a few neat spaces. Clint didn't say much to her, not that she minded. She liked the quiet and space. Clint only spoke to her when he needed to tell her the basic stuff she needed to know. Nor was he mean about it, he simply seemed to be someone who preferred to be alone most of the time. It was making the change less overwhelming for her. Even though her Godfather and his wife had done their best to help her. Being around Tyler did help.

She glanced down at her schedule, reading the times for each class;

 **Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday  
07:25-08:15** Science Science History Science History **  
08:20-09:10** History French Art Math Art **  
09:15-10:15** Art Math French French Math **  
10:20-11:45** Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch **  
11:50-12:50** Math English English Art English  
 **12:55-14.00** French P.E. P.E. English P.E.

Natasha looked up when they reached a new classroom; the History classroom. Hartley was in the middle of a class so she didn't notice the two teenagers outside. "We don't have her today. But we have her first thing tomorrow morning," the red-head commented, glancing at Clint.

The seventeen-year-old nodded before a thought crossed his mind. "The guidance counsellor's office isn't far from here. Do you want to go there?"

Natasha nodded, glancing up and down the hallway. Barton wasn't a talker, which she was very thankful for, but her habits from her time in her native Russia were still present. "Which way?" she asked, turning back to the other teenager. His grey eyes were glancing up the hallway, similar to the way she had been doing, making the red-head mentally frown; why was he paranoid?

"Left," he replied, pointing to the door down the hallway. "Phil's usually in his office at this time," he added.

Natasha nodded and followed Clint down the hallway. As they reached the door, Natasha noticed an old scar running down the back of Clint's neck, hidden by his hoodie unless he moved. She mentally frowned, wondering how he could have possibly earned the scar but the door opened before she could even think of asking about it.

"Clint, Natasha, what can I do for you?" Phil greeted, stepping back and allowing the two teens inside his office. The room was completely different from Nick's office and the main office; Phil's office was more welcoming. The colour of the walls was a soft cream unlike the sterile white throughout most of the rest of the rooms in the school. The suit gestured to the two seats in front of his desk; there were various kids' drawings all over his office as well.

"Seriously, Phil? Don't you have anywhere else to put Skye's old drawings?" Clint teased, picking up one that had four stick characters on it and four names. Natasha smiled mentally as she read, 'Daddy, Mommy, Skye, Clint.'

"I like embarrassing her with all of these family orientated drawings she used to do," Phil replied with an easy grin. "So what can I do for you? Or is this just a social visit?"

Natasha couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Phil. The man was so easy going, so care-free. In her previous schools, no teacher had been like this. Everything was so strict and controlled. But Phil was currently going against everything she had been so used to.

"Social visit. We have the gym, Math class and Science class left," Clint replied, shrugging his shoulders before wincing and bringing his hands up to his ears. Natasha watched with surprise as the teenager pulled out a small earpiece out of his left ear after hitting a few buttons on his wristwatch. Phil made a few hand signs, concern written clearly over his face, making Natasha wonder what he had said. He was obviously using sign language and Clint was obviously wearing hidden hearing aids.

Clint nodded and turned a setting on his wristwatch before placing his hearing aid back in. "Signals are interfering with them again," the seventeen-year-old informed his uncle before he turned to Natasha. "Sorry, I'm deaf," he told her with a slight shrug, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Natasha simply nodded; what else could she do?

Phil frowned at his nephew. "I'll call Harold and ask if he can do anything about signals interfering with the aids. Does anything else affect them?" he asked, writing down a few notes in his diary.

"Other than the usual of me being tired or upset, no," Clint replied, glancing up at the clock. It had just gone 08.45. "We better go. The gym is on the far side of the school," he stated, standing up and glancing at his and Natasha's school bags. "Do you mind if we left these here, Phil? Saves us from hoisting them around the whole place."

"Collect them before French," Phil replied. "My wife is not sending me to the dog's house because you were late to class after having to collect your bag from my office," he added, fixing Clint with a stern look.

"That wasn't my fault," Clint responded with a shrug. "Blame my fight with Rumlow. Prick shouldn't have tried to hit Skye," he added.

"Like Grant shouldn't have tried to ask her out when they were eight?" Phil asked, amused.

Clint turned and looked at his Uncle, pointing his finger at him. "Exactly," he replied with a grin.

Phil shook his head at the Clint. "Go. And don't get into trouble," he instructed before smiling at Natasha. "So far, how do you like SHIELD High School?"

"It's… different," she replied honestly, making Phil chuckle. "Ask me again in a month's time."

"Fair enough. Try to make sure Clint doesn't show you any bad habits," Phil replied. "Now, head off. I have an appointment in five minutes."

Clint and Natasha nodded before they left the office. "So… First the gym, then Math and finally Science. Anywhere else you want to see before French?"

Natasha shook her head. "Just the classes. If anything pops up, I'll let you know," she replied.

Clint nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

"Do you have anything to do in the afternoon?" Clint asked as they made their way back to Phil's office to collect their bags for French.

"I don't exactly have many friends," Natasha replied, turning to look at Clint. "I'm the new kid, remember?"

Clint frowned. "Didn't you have many friends at home?"

Natasha looked away. She didn't want to talk about her past. Period. "No. I was pretty much a loner," she replied, slowly turning to look at Clint. "I'm used to being alone."

Clint knew exactly what it felt like to be alone. "Well, now you're not," he replied, making Natasha raise an eyebrow at him. "I know what it's like to be alone too," he explained simply.

Natasha smirked slightly. "So you're my friend now. Why does that sound so childish?" She hated feeling like a child. It reminded her too much of her childhood in Russia.

Clint smiled and shrugged. "Because sometimes to grow up, you need to be a child at times," he replied.

Natasha snorted. "We'll see…"

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **NaraMorris: Here's more :)**

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	3. Secrets

**Chapter Three: Secrets**

Natasha had decided that where Phil Coulson was more carefree and relaxed, Melinda May-Coulson was more serious. No student spoke out of turn, quickly taking notes as she spoke.

"Your own address always goes to the left. The person or company you are writing to goes to the right. The date follows after their address," she instructed, writing an example on the whiteboard.

Natasha got seated in the only free desk in the class; the second row from the back. Beside Clint. He had obviously been right about telling her that he knew what it was like to be alone; the other kids barely acknowledged him when he entered the room. Except they stared when Natasha entered the classroom with him. It was as if nobody expected the new kid to be friends with one of the most distant kids in school.

Clint was sitting beside her, glancing out the window every now and again. He flinched and brought his hand up to his ear. His hearing aids were obviously hurting him. Natasha wasn't usually one to care, but since Clint was the first person other than Nick, Maria and their adult friends to treat her like she was human, she wanted to help the boy. He was obviously in pain from whatever was wrong with his hearing aids.

"Clint, do you need to go out?" Melinda suddenly asked. It was a known secret throughout the school that Clint was deaf. However, no one was stupid enough to make fun of him for it. No one wanted to become target practice for the archer. Particularly after Clint used Rumlow as target practice when the latter tried to hurt his adopted little sister.

Clint nodded, not really paying attention to anyone as he stood up and left the room quickly. Melinda glanced worryingly after her adopted son before scanning her eyes over the class. "Natasha, will you go after him and make sure he doesn't need any more help?" she asked the red-head. The woman knew Clint didn't exactly get on well with the majority in the class. With the exception of a few such as Steve and James but the two weren't much help when it came to Clint's deafness. Nor were they present as they had a match in a different school today.

Natasha nodded and followed Clint out of class. He was standing near the boys' toilets, fiddling with his hearing aid and its control watch. Natasha was glad he was facing her because she didn't want to see what he was like if somebody snuck up on him when his hearing aids were out.

Clint glanced up to see whoever it was walking towards him. He was surprised to see Natasha approaching him. She stood next to the closest locker, watching him carefully. "I can read lips fine," he told her, hitting a few buttons on his watch. Somebody was messing with radio waves in the school and it was messing with his hearing aids. Where the fuck was Tony when you actually needed him?

"May sent me out to check on you. Is there anything I can do to help?" she replied, frowning when he growled at the piece of technology in his hand.

"I need to find Tony at lunch. He knows how to fix my hearing aids since his father was the one that designed them," Clint replied. He looked up to find Natasha looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you going to be able to sit through the rest of French?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

Clint frowned. "Not with my hearing aids in. Will you be able to tell me if I need to take anything down?"

Natasha thought back to what Clint had told her before class. If he knew what it was like to be alone, maybe, just maybe, she might be able to be friends with him. "Sure. Will May know what's going on?"

Clint smirked. "Melinda's my adopted mother, Natasha. It doesn't mean I get away with trouble and stuff but she knows when I'm not in the best condition to do anything."

Natasha nodded. "Okay. We can head back whenever you're ready," she stated, before checking the hallways. Again. Old habits really did die hard.

Clint nodded. "Come on. You shouldn't miss any more classes on your first day," he joked, earning a small smirk from the red-head; he was claiming that as a success.

The two walked back down to the classroom. Natasha entered first, Clint making his way in after her. May looked at him worriedly but he made a few hand signs to reassure her that he'd be okay and get Tony to fix them at lunch. Until them, Natasha would help him with notes and classwork.

Natasha made sure to check that Clint was taking his notes – and properly – throughout the rest of the class. He was a quick learner, to which she was grateful, but it was very obvious that Clint didn't like not hearing what was going on around him; it was if he was afraid that someone would attack him if he wasn't paying attention. The same way she felt. For some reason, she found herself beginning to wonder if Clint offered her his friendship because he had been in similar circumstances as a child.

* * *

"Barton! Barton, over here!" Tony shouted when he spotted Clint and Natasha enter the canteen. He waved both arms in the arm, catching Clint's attention.

Clint turned to Natasha. "I'm not letting you eat on your own. So do you want to join me with my group of friends or do you want us to go somewhere more peaceful than the canteen?" he asked her, watching her reaction carefully.

Natasha hesitated. She hadn't been lying when she said she hadn't had many friends in Russia. Anya was her only friend. And then she was gone. Just like everyone else. The idea of having friends now had its appeal. But she needed to be cautious of who she trusted. "I'm good with eating with your friends. And you need Tony to fix your hearing aids," she replied slowly, giving him time to read her lips.

Clint nodded and led her over to the table where Tony and a bunch of others were sitting. The seventeen-year-old handed Tony his hearing aids. "Can you fix them?"

Tony twisted the hearing aids in his hands before taking the wristband off Clint. "Radio waves again?" the genius asked, looking up at Clint as he and Natasha took their seats at the table.

Tony nodded, taking out his phone before beginning to tap away at both screens, recalibrating different settings to fix the problem.

Clint turned back to Natasha. "Okay. I'm going to introduce you to everyone here. Starting from Tony and around the table. You met Tony and Pepper earlier," he started, gesturing towards the couple. "And I'll quickly name everyone; Eva Santos, Jane Foster Darcy Lewis, Sharon Carter, Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, Bobbi Morse, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, Kate Bishop and my little sister Skye Coulson," he introduced, frowning when he realised that they was five people missing. "And our seven missing friends are Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Donald "Thor" Odinson, Grant Ward and Lance Hunter who have a match. I think. And the Maximoff " Turning to the rest of the group, he gestured to Natasha, "Everyone, this is Natasha Romanoff. She's the new transfer student everyone is talking about."

Tony handed Clint his hearing aids. Clint put them back in, sighing in relief as he regained his hearing. "Thanks, Stark. I owe you one."

Tony waved him off. "Don't mention it. It was probably me and Bruce that caused the interference so no worries. Although, you can come to the party I'm having next Friday night. No parents. What do you say? And you're invited too, Red," he stated, grinning proudly when Natasha raised an eyebrow at him for the nickname.

Pepper shook her head as Bruce interrupted, "Don't mind Tony. He thinks he should nickname everyone he meets."

"He's just being a pain in the ass," Skye added before turning to her brother. "You okay now?" she asked, concern clearly written over her face. Natasha knew immediately that Clint was close with his little sister.

"I'm fine, little sis. Although, if I see you and Ward pushing your tongues down each other's throats again I might make him target practice," he teased, making every laugh as Skye immediately blushed at Clint's teasing.

"You're mean, Clint," Skye mumbled, picking at her lunch as she tried to fight her blush.

Jemma and Bobbi shook their heads at Clint. "That's so nice of you to say that to your little sister," Bobbi told him sarcastically. "Are you jealous, Barton?"

Clint grinned and shook his head. "Of Skye and Ward? Nope. No thanks. Ward's not my type," he replied, smirking when everyone shook their heads; between Tony and Clint, no one knew how had the most comebacks.

Natasha looked around the table, taking in everyone present. Excluding Pepper and Tony, she noted the appearance and body language of everyone.

Eva was of Latina descent, black hair and chocolate brown hair, petite build. Natasha didn't think she'd be any taller than herself when she would stand up. She had a narrow scar through her right eye but there were no obvious signs of damage to her eye.

Jane Foster also had a petite build and looked smaller than Natasha. She had brown hair and brown eyes, lighter shades than Eva. Her hair was pulled up in a messy pony tail and she was reading some science related book, as if studying for a test.

Beside Jane, Darcy Lewis was typing away on her phone, smirking every now and again when it pinged in her hand. She had dark hair as well, her eyes blue.

Sharon Carter was an athletic blonde with blue eyes. Her hair was pinned up in a high ponytail, out of her eyes. She seemed like she was part of the school's cheerleading team Bruce Banner was almost the definition of a high school nerd. He had the large rimmed glasses and flannel shirt. It suited him.

Betty Ross had a nerd like appearance but more modern. Her dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail, her dark eyes flickering towards Bruce. Both Betty and Bruce's hands were hidden under the table. And Natasha didn't think it was for inappropriate touching; neither of them seemed like the type.

Bobbi Morse was a mystery; her outfit was a mixture of athletic and nerd. Her blonde hair was half pinned up behind her ears. Her eyes were a grey-blue, lighting up whenever her phone pinged.

Jemma Simmons was the British version of the definition of female nerd (aka Hermione Granger without the bushy hair). Her mousy brown hair was pinned up off her face and she was talking quickly with the guy sitting beside her.

Leo Fitz was the cute boyish version of nerd. He wore a fully buttoned up flannel shirt and a men's woolly cardigan. His brownish blonde hair was curly in places and there was a bit of stubble on his cheeks. But he still retained his boyish looks. He answered Jemma's own words; the two looked like they could finish each other's sentences.

Kate Bishop was definitely an athlete. Her jet black hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and her blue eyes were lit up with mischief as she aided Clint in teasing Skye.

And, finally, there was Clint's little sister, Skye. It was obvious that Skye had inherited her looks from her mother, but Natasha could still see a bit of her father in her features as well. She was pouting at something Clint had said, making him grin and shake his head at her. Kate laughed outright at the two, shaking her head as Clint threw a piece of paper, hitting her square in the forehead.

Natasha was, suddenly, brought out of her observation by Betty. "Natasha, where did you live before coming here?" she asked, smiling kindly at the red-head.

Natasha managed a fake smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm originally from Russia. I moved around different European capitals before moving here with my Godfather, his wife and their son. Before here I was in Ireland. I had been living in Tallaght in Dublin before I moved here."

"Which countries did you live in?" Pepper piped in, looking very interested – and in awe – at Natasha's mention of living in different European cities.

"Moscow, Budapest, Prague, Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon, Florence, Venice, Athens, Zürich, Warsaw, London and Dublin," she replied, making everyone pause and look at her in genuine surprise.

"How did you get an education?" Jemma asked; always one of the four practical girls.

"I was home schooled in all of them until London and Dublin," Natasha replied, biting back her smug smirk when they looked at her, impressed.

"For fuck's sake, you are worse than Clint and Barney," Skye commented, making Clint whip his head to glare at his sister.

"Why? He travel throughout Europe before being brought here too?" Natasha asked dryly.

"No. He just travelled around most of the US in a circus with his older brother until Barney turned 18 and contacted my dad," Skye replied, ignoring Clint's glare.

Natasha turned to Clint. "Except for the circus bit and location, you and I may not be so different after all," she commented, watching Clint pause before nodding.

"See? I'm not so bad after all," he joked but Natasha could tell it was forced.

And so could Skye. "Hey, did you go to Dad today? Does he still have those stupid posters still up?" she asked, distracting Clint.

Clint grinned knowingly at his little sister. "Nah, they're still up. You know what Dad is like, Skye. He'll keep them up as long as he's here as a teacher and counsellor. And Mom secretly likes them as well, little sis," he replied, grinning when she pouted.

Natasha watched Clint carefully; she knew she had many secrets of her own. But she wondered what type of secrets Clint was keeping from his own friends….

 **Before anyone points it out, I never studied French, I studied German instead. The little French that I do know is simple conversation openers and 'My name is'. So apologies to anyone who is insulted by my lack of French speaking abilities. If you want to correct me, please feel free to do so :)**

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **buddha49: I updated as soon as was possible. I'm glad you like it so far :)**

 **Oliver: I update, I updated. Hold your horses. Relax. Everything will be revealed in due course :)**

 **Guest: I've never seen that many 'updates' in one review ;) Here's your update :)**

 **Sophia: Yes, Phil and Melinda are married. And Skye is their biological daughter. And Clint is technically their adopted son – You saw a glimpse of the closeness of their relationship in this chapter :) So yes, Skye is Clint's adopted little sister. And he's very protective of her ;) And yes, I'm looking forward to including a lot of characters in this :) Hehehehe… All the ideas that I'm planning at the moment :) And I hope you liked the way Natasha was introduced to the rest of the gang :)  
And I'll answer what happened to Clint when he was a child fully in a later chapter :)**

 **NaraMorris: I think it'll be around thirty chapters. And it will have a sequel. :) Thank you :) They're both seventeen :) I hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **Guest: Here's the next chapter :)**

 **kearapark: Thank you :) I hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **Aliana: I think I answered that question. Mostly :)**

 **StumpyTPDimples: Yes. Fluffiness to kill you with :) Among the angst and other things ;) Thank you :)**

 **Guest: Thank you :) I hope to not stop posting :) That…. May or may not happen ;) Thank you :)**

 **katara-zuko1714: Thank you :) Was this worth it? :)**

 **Fury-Natalia: Here's more :) Thank you :)**


	4. K-I-S-S-I-N-G

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T KNOW OWN ANY SONGS THAT WILL BE QUOTED IN THIS STORY; THOSE RIGHTS BELONG SOLELY TO THE ARTIST AND THEIR COMPANY.**

 **Chapter Four: K-I-S-S-I-N-G**

Natasha watched Clint closely as they made their way to their next class which happened to be Art. Clint was extra quiet on their way through the corridors. And the red-head was still trying to figure out what secrets he was hiding from his friends. His sister obviously knew some of them but even Natasha could see there was something Clint was hiding from Skye too.

"What is it, Natasha? Do I have something on my face?" Clint asked as they reached the stairs.

Natasha shook her head. "No. I'm trying to figure out why you'd be keeping secrets from your friends," she replied.

Clint stopped in the middle of the corridor, looking at Natasha in surprise. "What? How?" he asked, frowning in confusion at how she had been able to figure out that he had something to hide.

"Like I said earlier; we have more in common than I first thought," she replied simply. "Now, we should get to class. I'm not going to be late on my first day here…"

* * *

Natasha fell into a rhythm as she became used to her new home and school. She spent her evenings doing her homework and helping Tyler with his own homework. Nick and Maria had arranged for Clint to collect her for school in the morning and drive her home every evening. She didn't mind having Clint as her chauffeur; he seemed to know when she needed him to talk and when she just needed their companionable silence.

About two months of living in the town, Natasha had grown to actually like Clint; he was quiet and usually kept to himself with the exception of his friends and family. But he was cautious towards everyone else. He let no one get too close to him, watching everyone as if they could turn on him in an instance. Much like her. Neither of them spoke about their respective pasts but it was obvious to the Russian native that his friends knew next to nothing about his past. It made Natasha curious.

"Why don't you let anyone into your personal space?" she asked as Clint drove her home one Wednesday evening.

Clint frowned and glanced over her before returning his focus on the road. "What do you mean?" he replied, feigning innocence.

Natasha actually glared at him. "Don't play innocent now, Barton. You don't let people near you physically. Skye's the only one I've ever seen you let anyway close to you. You obviously went through something that made you so distant," she stated, watching him carefully.

Clint's eyes flickered over to her. There was silence for a few moments before Natasha turned back to look out her window, taking Clint's silence for not wanting to talk. But then he surprised her.

"My father used to beat me and my older brother when we were kids. He was an abusive drunk who used his own kids as punching bags," he informed her, making the red-head turn her head to look at him again. "My mom, Edith, could do nothing. She was in love with the man who raped her and beat her to a bloody pulp. Stockholm syndrome, you know? Anyways, when Barney and I were born, dear Harold took to drink more and more often. When I was four-years-old, he beat me so badly I lost my hearing and was in a coma for seven months."

Natasha couldn't believe what she was hearing; she had not expected Clint's past to be this dark.

"When I was seven," he continued, his eyes still on the road, "Harold came home beyond drunk. I tried to stop him but he got to mom first. He raped her repeatedly. Made me and Barney watch him. Then he beat the shit out of me and Barn before he tied us up so we couldn't call the cops. He proceeded to drag mom out to the truck. Wrapped it around a tree five miles out from Waverly. Mom died instantly. He died later in hospital, too brain dead to survive. Social services collected us eleven hours later. We ran away when they couldn't – or wouldn't – contact Phil and Mel. We joined a circus where I learned archery and Barney learned the basics of business. And then he found Phil and Mel when we started getting into trouble."

"Clint…" she started but fell short, not knowing what she could say.

Clint shook his head. "I have Haphephobia, Natasha. That's why I don't trust anyone touching me. Result of what Harold did to me and my brother and mother," he told her, turning slightly to face her. "None of my friends know for a reason. You now know because Nick and Maria informed Phil and Mel of the basics of what happened to you in Russia. They told me that you had suffered similarly to me. So I know I can trust you."

Natasha swallowed; she hated thinking let alone talking, about what happened in Russia. "I'm not ready to talk about Russia yet, Clint. I can't-. I just can't talk about it yet," she told him, watching him for any change in mood.

"I know. I can see that in the way you hold yourself," he replied just as they pulled up at her house. "But I want you to know that when and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. Don't ever hesitate," he told her with a smile.

Natasha returned it slowly. "Thank you, Clint," she whispered.

Clint nodded. "See you tomorrow?" he asked, watching her as she grabbed for her bag.

"As always," she replied cheekily, climbing out of the car. "Don't miss me too much," she teased as she closed the door. Clint had rolled the windows down when they had gotten into the car.

Clint grinned. "I'll try not to," he replied, smirking at the red-head.

Natasha waved as she walked towards the front door, smiling when she realised that Clint always waited until she was inside the door before he drove off.

"What has you in a good mood?" Maria asked when her adoptive daughter entered the kitchen, where the brunette and Tyler where making dinner.

"Natasha and Clint sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, second comes marriage, third comes a baby in a golden carriage…" Tyler sang before Natasha covered his mouth with her hand and raised an eyebrow at him.

Tyler grinned but shut up, making Maria snort at the two, shaking her head; dinner was going to be entertaining…

* * *

When Clint arrived home, he was greeted with the image of Skye and Grant Ward making out in the living-room. He raised an eyebrow and coughed, making the two younger teens immediately jump up off the couch.

Clint bit back a smirk. Tilting his head to the side, he asked, "So this is what you call studying, Skye Daisy Coulson?"

Skye had turned a relatively worrying shade of red. "I… You. You're home early," she finally managed, not knowing what else to say.

"How's Natasha?" Grant asked, making both Skye and Clint turn to him with raised eyebrows.

"Natasha's fine, Grant," Clint replied, levelling the younger male with a narrowed gaze. "Why do you ask?" he asked, watching him carefully.

Grant shrugged. "You two are very close. Seems to the rest of the school as Mr. Untouchable is caught up in the web of the new girl," he informed his girlfriend's brother.

"Is that so?" Clint replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

Grant simply nodded, slightly intimated by the older teen.

Clint bit the inside of his lip. "Don't let Mom or Dad catch you," he informed them before making his way upstairs to his bedroom. He took out his phone and text Natasha, "We seem to have made the school's gossip mill."

Her reply was almost immediate. "Oh? Why?"

"I, Mr. Untouchable, seem to be, and I quote Grant on this, 'caught up in the web of the new girl'."

"Would it be bad of me to say that actually makes me smug? ;)"

Clint grinned. Natasha was taking his confession in the car better than he expected. "I feel good that you think that it's a compliment."

There was a pause. "Why wouldn't I?"

Clint was surprised. No one had ever said that to him before. "No one has ever said that to me."

"Well they should have. But given the fact that you told me about your past, I guess I have the advantage of seeing just what lies beneath the surface of Mr. Untouchable."

He couldn't help but smile. "Thank you."

"You deserve it."

"I'm bringing you out for dinner now."

"I should be nicer more often so ;)."

"So you can get free food? I'm hurt, Tasha."

"Oh, you love me, don't deny it."

He paused. Then he answered, "Maybe."

"When are we going?"

"Friday, after school?"

"Perfect. Dinner's ready here. Text you later?"

"Sure. Enjoy :)."

* * *

"You and Barton have gotten pretty close," Nick commented as they sat down for dinner, making Natasha raise an eyebrow at him before sending a warning glare at Tyler when he opened his mouth to comment.

"He's my closest friend. We're also in the same classes and you arranged to have him bring me to and from school. Why wouldn't we seem close?" she replied, watching her adoptive parents carefully.

"The other teachers have noticed an improvement in Clint's attitude towards some of his classes. And that the two of you spend most of your time together. Is there any particular reason for that?" Nick asked, interlocking his fingers below his chin and watching his adoptive daughter carefully.

"As I said; he's my closest friend and we're in the same classes. Nothing more to it, Papa," she replied, biting back a smug smirk when she watched her adoptive parents share a look.

"Are you sure?" Maria asked, not bothering to hide a smirk when Tyler grinned cheekily and started humming his song from earlier.

Natasha rolled her eyes before glaring at her little brother. "Mama, if Clint and I were anything more than friends, you would be the last to know," she replied, making her parents smirk.

"For now," Nick commented before gesturing to their dinner. "Let's eat before it gets cold."

* * *

"You look happy," Melinda commented when Clint came down from his room for dinner. He raised an eyebrow at his adoptive mother.

"I had a good day in school," he replied, making her smirk knowingly at him.

"And Natasha Romanoff has nothing to do with it?" she asked, making Skye and Grant snicker from where they sat at the kitchen table.

Clint just sighed in reply. "Mom, Natasha is my closest friend. That's it. Anyways, who told you otherwise?" he asked, keeping an eye on Skye and Grant to see what they did.

"Rumours among staff," Melinda answered honestly. "The other teachers have noticed you spending most of your time with Natasha. More time than you usually spend with any of your other friends. They also noted that you actually go to all of your classes. Does Natasha have something to do with that?"

Clint cocked his head to the side. "Yes, she does. I don't particularly want to discuss why," he informed her, glaring when Grant whistled suggestively. "Ward, watch it," he warned.

Melinda only smirked and nodded towards the table. "Sit down. I was just wondering of Natasha had something to do with your new progress. So I can say thank you to her the next time I see her," she explained.

Clint simply nodded and sat down, kicking Grant and Skye in turn when they smirked. Skye glared at her brother before Melinda set their plates down in front of them, firmly stopping any further argument from starting…

* * *

"Seems like the teachers are in on the gossip mill too," Clint text Natasha once he was alone in his room again to finish his homework.

"So I've heard. And our parents too," was her reply, making Clint chuckle.

"Yours too? I'm must be very wrapped in your web :P."

"Is it wise for an American to trust a Russian? ;)"

Clint grinned and decided to ring her. "Are we getting into James Bond territory?" he asked, grinning when he heard her chuckle over the phone.

"I haven't seen all of them, so I can't say if we are or not," came her husky voice over the phone. "Good evening, Mr. Barton."

Clint grinned. "Good evening, Miss Romanoff. I'll have to show them to you," he replied, making Natasha chuckle.

"Is this your way of asking me on a date?" she teased, not meaning her words. And that's why she wasn't expecting Clint's answer.

"Yes," he answered seriously.

"What?" Natasha sat up in her bed. "Clint?"

"Natasha Alianova Romanoff, will you go on a date with me?" he asked, sitting down on his window sill, leaning against the window as he waited for her answer.

Natasha leaned against her headboard. "I… Okay," she finally answered, her mind running a million miles an hour. "Why?"

Clint shrugged before realising that she couldn't see him. "What I told you in the car and your reaction to it, I guess. Well, that's one of the reasons. And you're not like any of the other girls I've met. There's others, but I'm still sorting through them," he told her honestly.

Natasha bit her bottom lip and smiled slightly. "Analysing all points of view?" she teased, making Clint grin. "So dinner on Friday is a date?"

"You're getting to know my hidden agendas," he commented, smiling when Natasha chuckled. "Where do you want to go?"

"Dinner then a movie?" she offered, lying down on the bed as she listened to him hum.

"Any movie in particular?"

"The new James Bond film is out, isn't it?"

"You gonna be my Bond girl?" he teased cheekily.

"Only if you behave," she replied just as cheekily. "I'm looking forward to Friday," she added.

"I'll make it worth your while," he commented…

* * *

Natasha smirked as she got into the car the next morning. "Good morning," she greeted, tossing her bag into the back before getting into the passenger seat.

"Hey," Clint greeted, waiting for her to close her belt before pulling out of the drive. "Good sleep?" he asked, noticing her happy mood.

"Good news before bedtime helps," she replied, smiling when Clint grinned. "So… You haven't missed any classes since I started coming here," she commented, waiting to see his reactions.

"The classes have something worth showing up for now," he answered honestly, making Natasha smirk at him. "And a new view is always nice," he added cheekily, glancing over at her with a smirk.

Natasha leaned her head against the headrest and chuckled, shaking her head playfully. "You really know how to charm the girls, Clint," she commented.

"Only the nice ones," he replied with a wink.

Natasha shook her head and listened to the song currently playing. "I never knew you liked Ed Sheeran," she commented, making Clint grin proudly.

"He doesn't have one genre like some singers. He's an appealing act in that way," he replied.

Natasha nodded before she closed her eyes and smiled, humming along to the lyrics.

" _When your legs don't work like they used to before  
And I can't sweep you off of your feet  
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?  
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

 _And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70  
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23  
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways  
Maybe just the touch of a hand  
Well, me — I fall in love with you every single day  
And I just wanna tell you I am_

 _So, honey, now  
Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars  
Place your head on my beating heart  
I'm thinking out loud  
Maybe we found love right where we are_

 _When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades  
And the crowds don't remember my name  
When my hands don't play the strings the same way (mmm...)  
I know you will still love me the same_

 _'Cause, honey, your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen  
And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory  
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways  
Maybe it's all part of a plan  
Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes  
Hoping that you'll understand_

 _That, baby, now  
Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars  
Place your head on my beating heart  
Thinking out loud  
Maybe we found love right where we are (oh, oh)_

 _La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lo-ud_

 _So, baby, now  
Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars  
Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart  
I'm thinking out loud  
But maybe we found love right where we are  
Oh, baby, we found love right where we are  
And we found love right where we are._"

When they arrived at school, they quickly hopped out of the car and made their way inside. A few of the jocks – excluding Steve, Bucky, Thor, Grant and Hunter – wolf whistled at Natasha. She glared at them and took Clint's hand in hers, interlacing their fingers, marching past Rumlow and Victor whose jaws were dropped.

Clint simply grinned and let Natasha lead him up to his secret perch – he had shown it to her almost two weeks beforehand. The red-head sighed when they were alone, dropping her bag to the floor. Clint dropped his bag beside hers and sat down on the floor, watching as she sat down beside him. "You okay?" he asked, watching as she took her hand back in hers, tracing his calluses with her index finger.

Natasha was quiet for a moment. "When they whistle and cat-call at me, it reminds me of Russia," she confessed, her eyes focused on their hands.

Clint pulled his hand from hers and wrapped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He offered her his other hand, resting his temple on the crown of her head, waiting for her to continue if she wanted to tell him anything else.

Natasha leaned into his touch, running her thumb over his knuckles. "I grew up in an orphanage for a few years before Nick and Maria found me. The boys… they tried to. Tried to hurt me. My friend, Anya, stopped them. She got hurt instead. Maria and Nick found me and adopted me a week later."

Clint frowned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Can I help in any way?" he whispered, keeping her close.

Natasha took a breath before looking up at him. "You don't let anyone in your personal space. Yet, here we are," she commented, watching him carefully.

Clint bit his lip in thought. "You know what it's like not to trust anyone. You know what it's like to feel alone. I don't feel threatened with you, or afraid of you being closed to me," he told her. "I feel human around you. To quote Paramore, _'you are the only exception.'_ "

Natasha's eyes widened at Clint's words. She didn't expect that. She didn't expect Clint to tell her that she was an exception to his Haphephobia. Leaning up, she brushed her lips over his cautiously, waiting for him to react.

Clint replied by bringing his other hand to cup her cheek gently. He pulled her into his lap, bringing his arm from around her shoulders to her waist. Natasha brought her hands up to trail her fingers through his hair. Their lips met slowly, both taking their time, learning each other.

When the need to breathe became undeniable, Natasha slowly pulled away and rested her forehead against Clint's. They both breathed heavily, watching each other carefully. Clint acted first, smiling and pecking her lips softly. Natasha returned his smile and sighed contently. "Anywhere you don't want me to touch?" she asked, watching him carefully as he continued to hold her close.

Clint cocked his head to the side. "Chest and back. Anywhere else is fine," he answered. "That was where Harold used to hit me the worse. Except for when he cost me my hearing."

Natasha leaned back, cocking her head to the side. Then she made movements with her hands, surprising Clint. She had signed, "Tell me anytime you feel uncomfortable."

"Likewise," he signed back. Then he asked, "When did you learn how to sign?"

Natasha grinned. "When we started to get to know each other," she replied with her hands.

Clint returned her grin. Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. "Thank you," he mumbled against her lips.

Natasha returned his kiss before slowly pulling away. "So what does this make us?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

Clint grinned. "I'm going to go with you being my girlfriend and me being your boyfriend. But that's completely up to you," he replied. "But it is your decision, Tasha."

Natasha grinned and leaned forward to brush her lips over his again. "I like that idea," she whispered against his lips. "Anyways, Rumlow and Victor have probably told the whole school by now," she added.

Clint growled. "If anyone makes _you_ uncomfortable, tell me," he informed her.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "And let you use them for target practice?" she asked him knowingly.

Clint nodded. "I know you can take care of yourself. But I want you to know that I wouldn't let you deal with anything on your own again."

Natasha smiled. "Are you always this sweet?" she asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Clint grinned. "Just for you," he promised. "But just so you know, we will be facing a lot of gossip when we go back downstairs," he informed her.

Natasha laughed. "Good thing you're bringing me out tomorrow," she teased.

Clint laughed as well. "This is the happiest I've been in a long time," he confessed.

Natasha smiled. "Me too," she admitted, kissing him again; she couldn't help it – he made her feel safe. Pulling away, she nodded towards the door. "Come on. We better go and get our books before class," she told him.

Clint chuckled. "Right away, my Tsarina."

 **So the last time I updated this, I ended up deleting it by mistake. Hope you can all forgive me for that and for taking so long to update :)**

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **ClintandNatasha: Finally updated. Hope it was worth the wait :) And I think Natasha's efforts in this chapter were even better than last? :)**

 **Kearapark: Here it is, hope it was worth the wait :)**

 **Sophia: Yes, plural ;) I hope this made up for cutting the last chapter short :)**

 **buddha49: Thank you, hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **katara-zuko1714: Thank you, hope this was worth the wait as well :)**

 **Aliana: I revealed some of them. Actually most of them :)**

 **SPOILER – NEXT CHAPTER: Date Night ;)**

 **Happy Christmas, my friends, and a Happy New Year :)  
** **Nollaig Shona Daoibh, a chairde, agus bliain nua sásta :)  
** **Frohe Weihnachten und Rutsch ins neue Jahr :)  
счастливого Рождества и счастливого Нового года :)**


	5. Date Night

**MY FIRST 2016 UPDATE! :)**

 **A/N: I know this is a Clintasha focused relationship but I have decided to do stories based on the other relationships based at the same time of this story. So any references to discussions of other couples will be disclosed in those stories :)**

 **Chapter Five: Date Night**

Clint had been right about the gossip they would be facing when they reappeared from his perch. Tony had text him, "You've been holding out on me, Barton." Which Clint showed Natasha.

"Your friends are weird," she commented drily with a smirk.

" _Our_ friends," Clint informed her with a serious look before replying to Tony's text, feigning innocence, "Holding out with what?"

"Have you been devoured lately? If you don't respond I'll know," was the Genius' reply.

Clint looked up at Natasha. "I couldn't agree with you more, Tasha," he commented, frowning as he got another message. And another. It seemed Tony couldn't stop.

"I suppose I was right then… The activities left the spider hungry…"

"The widow shall be named if you keep this up."

"Haha I've found the nickname."

"The Black Widow has arrived."

"The Hawk has found its prey."

"The arrow tip has spun the web."

"Haha I'm getting good at these…"

"Is it just me or is the quiver getting full?"

"Shall I commence with the apprehending of the fallen comrade?"

Natasha shook her head as Clint showed her the messages. "Does his mind ever stray from the gutter?" she asked.

Clint paused for a moment before answering, "Only when Pepper requires him to think outside the gutter."

Natasha chuckled, letting Clint take her hand as they walked through the crowded corridors. "You're only adding to the fire," she mumbled under her breath as the other students turned to look at them.

Clint looked at her and grinned. "I like playing with fire. I don't get burned often," he replied, leading her towards their first class.

Natasha smirked and stole a kiss from him. If he was willing to drive the gossip mill wild, who was she not to help him?

* * *

"Cupid's hit his target!" Tony shouted when Natasha and Clint entered the cafeteria. Everyone looked and the two teens could hear the mutterings.

The two shared a look before making their way over to their group of friends.

"And here we thought the Hawk would never catch his prey," Lance commented from where he sat with his head lying in Bobbi's lap, an ice pack pressed to his forehead.

"What happened to you?" Clint asked, raising an amused eyebrow at the British-born jock.

"Fight in gym," Bobbi replied for her boyfriend. "Rumlow said something, Lance decided to shut him up."

"You weren't even there," Lance complained, even with his eyes closed.

"I'm _your_ girlfriend. You really think there's anything you can hide from me?" the blonde asked her boyfriend.

"Good point," he mumbled. Then he opened his eyes and looked at the newcomers. "What took you two so long?" he asked, not really meaning anything other than the actual question.

"Clint needed his quiver," Tony quipped, making Clint and Natasha glare at him.

Pepper hit her boyfriend across the back of his head before turning to Clint and Natasha as they finally sat down. "As much as I disagree with Anthony's antics," the Class President started. "But finding out two of your friends are dating through gossip is not the definite of friendship."

Clint shook his head whilst Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Rumlow and Victor?" Natasha asked, making Clint chuckle beside her.

"Technically, it happened yesterday evening and we were going to tell you guys first. But some jocks are jerks so they ended up finding out first," Clint stated.

James and Steve shared a look. "Want us to rough those lads up in training tonight?" James offered, watching the couple in question carefully.

Natasha shook her head. "No. At least not yet. You will only get reprimanded and they'll get away with it."

Steve frowned. "Doesn't mean they should get away with disrespecting girls," he commented.

"Captain, you just want to get back at Rumlow for trying to get in Sharon's pants. For which, she broke his nose," Tony pointed out.

"That was fun," Sharon stated as she arrived at the table, sliding into the free seat beside Steve. She slipped her hand into his, squeezing it when she noticed how tense her boyfriend was beside her. "It was a good punch if I do say so myself," she added before pecking Steve's lips. "You, relax. They'll get what they deserve when they are not expecting anything."

Steve nodded and brought Sharon's hand up to his lips when she pulled away her lips away from his.

Turning to Clint and Natasha, Sharon smirked. "So, you two couldn't resist working the rumours yourselves," she teased.

Natasha smirked deviously. "Why not? Stirring rumours about yourself makes sure you know the original rumour," she answered honestly.

Clint grinned. "Particularly when a certain younger jock is making out with your little sister and is caught by you and tries to distract you by talking about one rumour not started by yourself," he added, smirking at Grant and Skye who both blushed.

Everyone turned to the two. "Legolas caught HellQuake making out?!" Tony exclaimed, making the whole cafeteria look at their table.

Skye buried her face, hiding her blush. Grant's face was a deep red as he glared at the genius. "Tony, run," Grant suggested, standing up.

Tony was gone before anyone could comment, Grant quickly following him.

"Should I be recording this?" Lance asked, lifting his head from Bobbi's lap to watch the two run out of the cafeteria.

"We can get the recordings from the CCTV later," Skye commented, lifting her head just as Eva walked in, shaking her head as she walked over.

"Pepper, your boyfriend is going to have a black eye," the Latina commented as James pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist. She placed her hands on top of her boyfriend's and turned her head to look at him. "Missed me?" she teased, smirking at him.

James nodded, pecking her lips before using her neck as a pillow. "Who else stops me from attacking people?" he mumbled against her skin.

Eva smirked and shook her head. She turned back to the group just as Grant arrived back.

Pepper looked worriedly at him. "Where's Tony?" she asked.

"Nurse's office. I didn't hurt him enough for you to be worried," he replied, making the Class President sigh in relief.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't piss anyone else off," she commented, grabbing both her bag and Tony's an walking out to take care of her boyfriend.

"What else has Rumlow and his group of friends been up to now?" Sharon asked, leaning her head on Steve's shoulder.

"Cat-calling and the usual?" Lance offered, making everyone look with him. "It was the reason for our fight. Bastard has a broken wrist and nose."

Bobbi brought a hand to her face. "What have I told you about starting fights simply because someone insulting me?" she muttered.

Lance made a noise of protest. "I think I have every right to want to defend you when a teammate is an asshole of a bastard and insults you every time he's around me," he argued. "Douglas is the exact same as that bastard," he added before standing up, grabbing his bag and storming out of the cafeteria.

"Lance?!" Bobbi called after her boyfriend, watching him leave. She groaned and rubbed her temples; he was going to be the death of her with his mother hen antics.

"His stepfather being a prick again?" Clint asked, watching the blonde carefully.

Bobbi nodded. "Yeah. Then the fight at first class didn't help," she answered, her eyes closed as she spoke. Nor did the information she had told him this morning. Biting her bottom lip, she stood up. "I'll see you all later," she said before grabbing her bag and following her boyfriend out.

Clint raised an eyebrow at the boys. "What did Douglas do now?"

"Tried to hit Jemma and their mom. Lance got in the way," James replied, making everyone look at him. "Then Rumlow started staying shit about Bobbi, calling her a whore, slut, every name under the sun you can think of. Lance lost it. Broke his arm and nose. No one's told Bobbi how bad he got."

Natasha noticed Clint tensing beside her. She slid her hand into his beneath the table, slipping her fingers between his, squeezing his hand. "You okay?" she asked, signing her question by spelling it out.

Clint nodded. He squeezed her hand in return, keeping his eyes on James. "Anyone else feel like our second most unlikeliest couple are hiding something from us?" he asked, making Skye snort from his right. Pepper and Tony had been the most unlikeliest of couples, Bobbi and Lance a close second – they fought like cats and dogs most of the time but somehow both couples managed to stay together.

"Bobbi holds her cards tight. We've all seen that. Isabelle Hartley adopted her when she was twelve. Other than Mack, she had very little friends when she started here. Then Lance showed up and she was assigned to bring him around and wall-la; we have a new couple," Skye commented, before her eyes widened in realisation. She pointed at Clint and Natasha. "The nice teachers in the school are playing matchmaker. First Bobbi and Lance, now Clint and Natasha," she stated, making the whole table laugh at her observation.

"You think so highly of my parents and yours," Natasha commented, shaking her head. "Aren't you supposed to be more interested in computers and Grant's mouth than making up theories of teachers setting up students with students that arrive from other countries?"

Skye blushed and Grant opened his mouth to protest. Then he looked at his girlfriend. "Running after Tony Stark and beating him up is one thing. But I am not fighting the Black Widow," he informed her.

"I'll use you as target practice if you try," Clint warned.

"Or I can use you as a dummy?" Natasha offered.

James, Steve, Sharon and Eva laughed. Skye and Grant looked worried. And Natasha and Clint simply smirked.

Grant looked at Skye. "And here I thought Thomas and your parents were bad," he commented.

"We need to get dirt on those two. We can't be the only ones receiving all the teasing," Skye replied, pointing at her brother and his girlfriend.

Natasha and Clint smirked. "The war has begun," the red-head said to her boyfriend.

Clint grinned and leaned his face so he could whisper in his girlfriend's ear. "There's no one else I'd rather fight alongside."

Natasha smiled; she had a feeling she was going to learn just how much of a romantic her boyfriend was…

* * *

"You look nervous," Phil commented as he walked into the kitchen Friday evening, finding Clint dressed in a black dress shirt and black jeans.

Clint paused and looked up from where he was playing with his chain bracelet his parents had bought him as a birthday present. "Am I that obvious?"

Phil chuckled and nodded. "Natasha's your second girlfriend – as far as your mother and I are concerned. Bobbi and you dated for a while but you both decided that you two were better suited as friends. You've only ever gone on dates with Bobbi, that I know of at least," he responded.

Clint nodded. "I was seeing other girls in between Bobbi and Natasha," he admitted. "But never made it to going on dates. They didn't understand my reasons for not being touched. Bobbi did. Natasha does. I guess I just don't want to mess up," he confessed.

"Did you tell Natasha about Harold and Edith?" Phil asked.

Clint nodded; he never told Bobbi as much as Natasha but enough that made her understand why he didn't like to be touched. "She told me some things about Russia too. She knows where not to touch me because she asked me. And she learned sign language," he revealed.

Phil's eyes widen in genuine surprise. "She learned sign language for you?" he asked. When Clint nodded and smiled, Phil grinned. "I really like that girl," he told his son; adopted or not, Phil always thought of Barney and Clint as his sons.

Clint blushed slightly. "I do too," he confessed just as he phone pinged. "She's ready. I'll see you when I get home."

Phil grinned. "I don't have to give you a talk about the birds and the bees, do I?" he teased.

Clint groaned and shook his head. "No. Definitely not on the first date," he replied, escaping out of the house before his father could say anything else...

* * *

Natasha walked down the stairs when she heard Nick open the door and greet Clint. She smiled when she found her father and boyfriend standing at the bottom of the stairs, chatting about the school's latest archery competition. They both stopped talking when they heard Natasha coming down the stairs.

Clint's eyes widened as he took in his girlfriend's appearance. "Wow," he commented, making Nick shake his head and chuckle beside him.

"You look lovely, Natasha," Nick told his daughter, kissing her cheek with a fatherly peck when she reached the last step. "Don't keep her out too late," he warned Clint.

"Thanks, Papa," Natasha told her father, smiling as Clint swallowed and grinned.

"Yes, Sir," Clint answered, offering Natasha his arm. "You look beautiful," he told his girlfriend, smiling as she interlaced her fingers with his instead of linking arms with him.

"Did you get interrogated by my father?" she asked as they walked out to his car. Clint grinned but shook his head.

"Other than the warning of not staying out too late, I was given no argument," Clint replied, opening the passenger door for her. "Your dress suits you," he informed her as she slid inside, pressing her lips to his cheek as she moved.

"Thank you," she answered as he moved to climb into the driver's seat. "You don't look too bad yourself," she added, admiring the view of his body outline by the snug fitted dress shirt.

She was wearing a grey form fitting dress with black heels. "We fit," she commented with a grin.

Clint grinned. "You're the second girl I've ever brought out on a date," he admitted, making Natasha look at him in surprise.

"Really?" she asked. "I know the reasons why you wouldn't let people get close but has there been any girls who were interested?"

"I did see girls but never made it to dating," he answered. "They never understood my fear of touch. Probably because you're the first person other than my family that knows about my biological parents."

Natasha nodded and reached over, resting her hand on his knee comfortingly. "I'm honoured that you trust me enough to have told me about your childhood," she informed him.

Clint smiled. "I've gotten to know a lot about you over the past two months," he started, glancing at her. "You're one of the first people to have ever respected me because of my disability. You look at me like I'm just a normal person. Not many people do that."

Natasha frowned. "Just because you're deaf doesn't mean it should dictate your life. I don't see you as a disabled, Clint," she told him.

Clint's smile grew. "I know," he answered, catching her hand with his and bringing it up to press her knuckles against his lips softly…

* * *

Natasha smiled when Clint opened the car door for her. "So you're a gentleman," she commented, stepping out of the car.

Clint grinned. "For you, yes," he replied.

Natasha rested her hands on his biceps and smiled at Clint before leaning in and kissing him softly. "Good answer," she mumbled against his lips. Breaking the kiss, she brought her hands to the top of shirt, Clint freezing in her arms. "Relax," she whispered, watching him carefully. "I'm not going to touch you without your permission." She slowly undid the top two buttons of his shirt before placing her hands back on his biceps. "You look more relaxed with the top two undone."

Clint let out a breath he had been holding and nodded. He noted he didn't feel the usual terror he felt when someone tried to touch him but instead a feeling of cautiousness. He took Natasha's hand in hers and led her into the restaurant, interlacing her fingers with his.

Natasha let Clint led them over to their table after they checked with the maître d'hôtel. The red-head slid into their booth first before Clint followed. He stole a kiss from her, making her smirk. Clint took the menus and handed her one.

"We're splitting the difference," she informed him, making him roll his eyes.

"Tasha, I asked you out on the date. I should pay," he replied.

"Clint, this is the twenty-first century. Women can pay for their own food," she argued.

Clint smiled and shook his head. "I know that," he answered, pecking her lips. "But I want to buy you this dinner," he whispered against her lips.

Natasha sighed and nodded against his lips, grateful Clint had managed to get them a seat in the back corner of the restaurant; she could only do so much PDA and Clint kissing her like this was something she didn't want displayed to the whole restaurant. "Okay," she whispered into his mouth.

Clint broke the kiss when he felt the vibrations of someone approaching their table. The waiter arrived and took their order, his eyes staying on Natasha for too long. Clint made a point by taking Natasha's hand in his, their fingers interlaced, kissing her knuckles with a proud smirk.

The waiter took the point, quickly leaving when he had their order. Natasha brought one hand up to cup Clint's cheek, noting the feel of his five o'clock shadow in her palm. "Don't get too territorial, Barton," she warned.

Clint smiled and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I don't want people to think that you're some trophy that can be used to put them up in some imaginary competition," he told her; what she told him of her past made him very protective. "I know you can protect yourself but I want you to know that I won't let you do it alone."

That deserved a kiss. "Thank you," she whispered as she pulled away.

"You're welcome," he answered, resting his forehead against hers….

* * *

Natasha wanted to protest when he bought her ticket for the movie. But a firm raised eyebrow from her boyfriend informed her not to. But she did buy the popcorn and drinks.

"Ready?" he asked, taking the popcorn from her. They both walked to the screen that was playing Spectre.

"You think I'm going to be scared of a Bond film?" she teased, shaking her head at him.

"No but you made need help understanding English idioms," he teased, smirking at her.

"That happened once, Clint. Let it go," she replied.

Clint simply pulled her close as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Don't worry, Tasha. I find it cute when you don't understand them," he whispered in her ear.

"You're lucky that my hands are full," she warned him…

"So was that a good movie for you?" Clint asked after the movie had ended and they ended up taking a walk.

"Yes, I did enjoy it," she answered, one hand interlaced with his while the other rested on his elbow. "Did you?"

Clint smiled and nodded. "Yeah." He noticed the area where they were in. "Hey, I want to show you something," he told her, nodding towards the pace where he wanted to show her. "Promise it's nothing bad."

Natasha smirked. "Is this where you kill me?" she teased but let him lead her into the building.

Clint chuckled and shook his head. "After finally meeting a girl who accepts me for me? No," he answered, waving at the doorman. "I have never brought anyone here before, so you have to keep it a secret," he added when they were alone again, standing in the elevator.

"I'm honoured," she told him, letting him pull her into a hug as they waited to arrive at the floor. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes as she felt his arms settle on the small of her back but away from the curve of her ass. She mimicked her arms, waiting to see whether or not he would react; he didn't.

"You smell good," he mumbled from where his face was pressed against the crown of her head.

"You do too," she whispered, smiling against the skin of her boyfriend's neck.

The elevator doors pinged opened and Clint lifted his head to notice they had arrived at the floor he wanted. He took Natasha's hand in his and led her out.

He took her out onto the roof, Natasha pausing as she took in the sight of the moon and stars lighting up the Hudson River.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, walking further out from the stair entrance.

Clint had grinned at her back, watching her take in the scenery. "Not as beautiful as you," he answered before wincing. That had not been his most smoothest line. "Sorry," he added, taking her hand and leading her over to where he had built a hut with the permission of the building owner; who just happened to be Howard Stark. He sat down before gently pulling Natasha into his lap, her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

She turned her head and kissed him softly. "Thank you," she whispered before pulling away, turning her head back to admire the view.

Natasha sighed in content as she relaxed back against Clint's chest. She admired the view, placing her hands on top of Clint's, interlacing their fingers. She could get used to this.

Clint pressed his lips to the spot where her shoulder met her neck. "You make me feel human, Tasha," he whispered, holding her closer to him; he hadn't felt human in a long time.

Natasha responded by tightening her fingers around his, pulling his arms further around her. "You make me feel safe," she told him, twisting her head to rest her face against the crook of his neck. "Russia's but a distant memory to me," she added, kissing the skin of his neck softly.

Clint smiled softly. That new piece of information made him feel very happy. "Good," he whispered, relaxing into her touch…

 **I made my sister help with some of Tony's one-liners. Because I was slightly intoxicated when writing this morning… So, Happy New Year to everyone :)**

 **To answer the reviews of the previous chapter:**

 **Sith Shadow Stalker: Awh, thank you :) I hope this was just as good :)**

 **ClintandNatasha: Thank you :) I think a lot of people will love Tyler ;)**

 **katara-zuko1714: Thank you :)**

 **PS: Any ideas of what Bobbi and Lance are hiding? Any takers? Okay, you can all find out in two or three chapters time ;)**


	6. A Good Night Out

**Chapter Six: A Good Night Out**

Clint pressed his lips to the spot where her shoulder met her neck. "You make me feel human, Tasha," he whispered, holding her closer to him; he hadn't felt human in a long time.

Natasha responded by tightening her fingers around his, pulling his arms further around her. "You make me feel safe," she told him, twisting her head to rest her face against the crook of his neck. "Russia's but a distant memory to me," she added, kissing the skin of his neck softly.

Clint smiled softly. That new piece of information made him feel very happy. "Good," he whispered, relaxing into her touch…

Natasha didn't know who kissed who first. All she knew was she was now straddling Clint, her hands buried in his hair while he had his arms locked around her back. She grinned when he moaned as she grinded down on him. "Tasha," he groaned into her mouth, breaking the kiss to nip at her shoulder. "Please. Don't start something we can't finish tonight."

Natasha smirked and tilted her head to allow him more access. "Mmmm… Why not?" she asked, gasping when he sucked a mark into her skin.

"Because I was raised by Mel and Phil to be better than having sex on the first night," he answered, kissing his way back up her neck until he reached her lips. "At least the third date before taking you to my bed," he added slyly.

Natasha chuckled into his lips. "I found myself a gentleman," she teased cheekily. She let him pull her closer until her breasts were pushed up against his chest. He growled and deepened the kiss, grinning when she moaned into his mouth.

"And I found myself a tease," he whispered into her mouth. Natasha broke the kiss and raised an eyebrow at him. Clint grinned at the sight of her kiss-swollen lips and her raised eyebrow. "I'm not complaining. Just observing how beautiful you are and how I am tempted to rebel against what I grew up with," he added.

Natasha shook her head. "Impossible," she whispered, taking her hands from his hair, retracting from him.

Clint caught her hands and brought them to his lips. "Tasha, you are beautiful," he told her seriously. "I'm not with you simply because of your looks. Grinding against me when we're making out; that's being a tease," he whispered, using her hands cup his face. "I'm sorry."

Natasha shook her head again. "No, I'm sorry," she answered, rubbing her fingers under the material of his over-ear hearing aids. "Sometimes, I remember things from my past and put them in the present," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "I don't mean to tease you."

Clint kissed her softly. "Don't apologise, Tasha. I understand," he whispered against her lips. "Do you have other triggers?" he asked, pulling away slightly.

Natasha paused for a moment. "Don't feel me up from behind when I don't realise you're there and we should be good," she finally whispered.

Clint nodded. "If I ever I make you feel uncomfortable, tell me," he requested before kissing her softly. Natasha smiled and brought one hand back up to cup the back of his head, her other one resting on his bicep. She deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer, his arms wrapped like a safety harness around her waist.

He broke the kiss and rubbed his nose along hers. "You're my tease, okay?" he whispered, pecking the corner of her lips. "And I mean it by having e wrapped around your fingers."

Natasha smiled and nodded. "Okay," she whispered, resting her forehead against his. "I could get used to the make-out sessions," she added, earning a chuckle from her boyfriend.

"I promise to give you as many of those sessions without your parents killing me," he promised, kissing her chastely. "Speaking of your parents, we should get going soon so they don't decide they don't want you to go out with me again."

Natasha shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry, I'd convince them otherwise," she promised, slowly standing up. He followed, taking her hand in his, interlacing their fingers as they made their way downstairs….

* * *

Natasha smiled as Clint walked her to the door. She turned around as he stood in the doorway. "Shouldn't I be inviting you in?" she teased, even though she knew what he'd say.

"Not this time, Sweetheart," he answered as she rested her hands on his biceps, his coming to rest on her hips.

"I had a really good time," she whispered, leaning up and kissing him softly. "Thank you," she added against his mouth.

"So did I," he whispered, slowly pulling away and smiling at her. "You're welcome."

The door opened to reveal Maria, smirking knowingly at the two. "Good evening, Clint," she greeted.

Clint nodded. "Good evening, Mrs. Fury," he replied, slowly retracting his hands from his girlfriend's hips in the presence of her mother.

Natasha smirked at Clint's actions and kissed him again. "Talk later," she whispered against his lips.

Clint smiled and whispered, "Okay," against her lips before pulling back again. "See you later," he promised. "Good night, Mrs. Fury," he said to Mara.

"Good night, Clint," Maria replied, smiling as the teenager made his way back down the driveway. He got into his car and waved before pulling the black vehicle out of the drive. She turned to her daughter with a knowing grin.

Natasha blushed at her mother's smirk; it was a bit too knowing for her liking. "We didn't do anything," the red-head told her mother as she entered the house.

"The hickey on your neck says otherwise," Maria pointed out, making Natasha turn to the mirror in the porch, her hands going straight to her neck; sure enough there was a large hickey at the base of her neck, unhidden by the straps of her dress.

"Shit," Natasha whispered under her breath in Russian. She turned to her mother who was still smirking at her.

"Go get changed into your pyjamas before you say hello to your father," Maria advised with a smug grin. Natasha nodded and moved to go up the stairs, kissing her mother's cheek as she moved. "Oh, and advise Clint to give you hickeys where your father can't see," she added cheekily.

Natasha blushed further and quickly made her way to her room. She took out her phone to text Clint after she was dressed and cleaned off her make-up, wondering what his reaction would be like...

* * *

Melinda looked up from the tests she was correcting as Clint came in. He had a grin on his face, automatically telling Melinda that he had had a good night. "Should we be expecting Natasha around soon?" she asked, smirking when Clint blushed slightly.

"Am I really that obvious?" he replied, stopping at the fridge to pull out a bottle of water.

"You were grinning as you came in," Melinda stated. "You blushed when I asked about her. Shall I continue?"

Clint shook his head. "No, Mom, I get it. You don't need to continue," he mumbled, sitting down at the kitchen counter and frowning as he looked at the tests. "Please tell me mine isn't among those," he stated, looking up at his mother.

Melinda smirked; Clint was one of her better students – he was not as fluent a speaker as Natasha, Pepper or Tony but his written ability was as good as Melinda's. "Don't worry, you passed," she informed him.

Clint chuckled and smiled. "Thanks Mom," he answered, taking his phone as it beeped.

Melinda laughed when Clint's eyes widened and he blushed deeply as he read the text. 'Natasha,' she guessed. "Ring her," she suggested, making her youngest son look up in surprise. "You're blushing. As your mother, I don't want to know what you two did and Natasha sent you the aftermath."

If possible, Clint blushed further. He stood up and kissed the top of his mother's head. "Goodnight, Mom," he said against her head.

"Goodnight, Clint. Say hello to Natasha for me," Melinda called after him as he made his way upstairs…

* * *

She got changed into her soft pyjamas, pulling Clint's hoodie that she had stolen from him sometime in the past month. Checking the time, she texted her boyfriend, "For the sake of both of us, don't give me noticeable hickeys next time. Xxx"

His reply was to ring her. "Is that a threat from your father?" he asked, making Natasha chuckle.

"No. Mom saw it. Suggested that I should tell you to give them to me elsewhere," she replied, sitting on her bed. "I didn't even notice until she pointed it out."

She could _hear_ his smug grin over the phone. "I'm sorry," he offered as an insincere apology.

"No you're not," she answered. "But thank you. For everything tonight."

"You are more than welcome, Tasha," he replied. "Let me know if your father wants to threaten me."

"So you can skip down?" she asked, half joking; everyone left in the end.

"Can't get rid of me that easily, Tease. I just want to know so I can defend myself against him."

Natasha let out a snort. "I don't think you'd see it coming."

"I'm observant. I know the patterns of the teachers."

"I see why people call you _Hawkeye_ ," she teased. "Maria thought it was funny if it makes you feel better."

"Melinda thought it was funny too when I blushed," he offered. "Our mothers are finding our relationship as their entertainment," he commented as he begun to strip out of his shirt.

"To an extent, so am I," she replied, earning a chuckle. "The new girl and the boy no one can touch. We make quite a couple."

Clint smiled, sitting down as his jeans hit the floor with his shoes and socks. "I think we make a good couple," he told her.

"Of course you do," she teased as she lay down on the bed, smiling.

"Has Nick seen you yet?"

"No. I got changed to cover your hickey," she replied; she could see his smug smirk. "You will need to start giving me hickeys where people can't see," she added.

"Darling, if I started giving you hickeys where people can't see, you'd need to be naked for me," he replied, lying down and grinning when Natasha laughed. "Until our third date, however, I will try to give them to you further down where your tops can hide them. Or scarves."

Natasha shook her head. "You're impossible, yastreb," she told him.

"Yastreb?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Hawk," she explained, making him grin.

"My pet name for you?" he asked, bringing one hand up behind his head.

"Da," she responded, making him chuckle.

"Tired?" he asked, noting how she let her Russian language take over.

"Da," she repeated, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Did I wear you out that much?" he teased.

"Don't think with your khuy, yastreb," she teased, stretching.

"You need to teach me Russian," he commented. "And you need to sleep," he added when he heard her yawn.

Natasha chuckled. "We can start next week," she offered. "Goodnight, moy yastreb," she added.

"Goodnight, Tasha," he answered. He waited until she hung up before pulling his phone from his ear and tossing it onto his bedside locker. He climbed underneath his covers and lay back, closing his eyes to welcome a rare peaceful sleep…

* * *

Natasha got up to go downstairs to say goodnight only to hear a quick knock at her door. She made her way over and opened it to find Nick standing there. "Papa?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

Nick chuckled: Natasha looked exhausted. "I came to say goodnight. Your mother said you looked exhausted but happy so I came to make sure," he told her, smiling as his daughter chuckled and grinned.

"I'm okay, Papa," she promised, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Clint was very respectable."

Nick let out his own chuckle; his daughter and wife knew him all too well. "As long as he didn't try anything, he's in my good books," he informed her.

Natasha shook her head with a smile. "I think you should be more worried about me starting something than Clint, Papa," she informed him cheekily.

Nick raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Goodnight, Natasha," he told her, not commenting on her last statement.

"Goodnight, Papa," she replied, watching him turn and walk away before shutting the door. She walked back over to her bed and climbing under the covers. She smiled and curled up, letting peace take her quickly, exhausted from her good night out with Clint…

 **When one of your closet friends is sitting beside you in the college common room and doesn't know you're the one who wrote the fanfiction she is currently reading…. The reaction is brilliant when she reads the author's notes and slowly turns to you and says, "We need to talk" :')**

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **Guest: I hope this was just as cute :)**

 **Princess2016: Thank you :) I hope this was just as good :)**

 **Sith Shadow Stalker: I updated, I updated :)**

 **PLL and Victorious PULE: Thank you :) I hope I continue to live up to your expectations :)**

 **ScarlettBarton: You hit the nail on the head :)**

 **katara-zuko714: Thank you :)**

 **Thank you to Kate for my Russian translations –** **Go raibh maith agat, a chara** **:D**


	7. It's How You Deal With It That Counts

**Trigger warnings in this chapter….**

 **Chapter Seven: It's How You Deal With It That Counts**

For the first time in a long time, Clint felt happy. He was doing well at school, family life was good, he hadn't had many nightmares and on top of it all, he had an amazing girlfriend who accepted him despite all of his flaws. He couldn't ask for mire.

He got out of the car, smiling when Natasha walked down the path to meet him. As she reached the car, she raised an eyebrow at him. "What has you so happy?" she asked as she stepped into his arms. "It's 07:05. And you haven't had enough coffee."

"Christmas break," he answered, kissing her softly. "I want to know if you would like to come with me to a cabin for a week after Christmas."

Natasha smiled and pulled back. "Seriously?" she asked. "How did you manage that?"

"Phil owns a cabin," Clint answered. "Skye and Grant are staying at my house. Barney and Ashley will be home. So I thought I'd offer time for just you and me?" He phrased it like a question, unsure of her reaction.

Natasha tilted her head to the side. "I'll ave to ask," she started, bringing her hands to cup his face gently. "But you have a provisional yes from me, Yastreb," she added before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his softly.

Clint smiled against her lips. "Thank you," he mumbled against her lips.

"Thank you," she repeated as she slowly pulled away. "Now, I want to get into the car. It's freezing out."

Clint chuckled and moved to open the passenger's door for her. "That explains why you've been stealing my hoodies," he commented.

"They're comfortable," Natasha replied. "And you've never complained," she added as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"Not complaining," Clint answered. "Just pointing it out, Sweetheart."

Natasha smirked and put her feet up on the dashboard as Clint pulled out of the driveway. She reached over and rested her hand on his knee, not to distract him but to simply have contact with him.

Clint reached down and squeezed her hand softly before returning his hand to the steering wheel. They remained quiet for the majority of the ride, each comfortable to remain silent with each other.

As they pulled into he school yard, Natasha noticed the jocks standing in their usual spot at the door. She groaned at the sight of them.

"We can sneak around back," Clint informed her, making her look over at him. "I know how much you hate those bastards."

Natasha smiled at him weakly. "I knew you loved me," she quipped, half meaning it. "Thank you, Yastreb."

Clint reached down to her hand and squeezed it softly. He drove to the spot the teachers usually parked and pulled in. Natasha raised an eyebrow at him as he pulled out a permit, Melinda's permit, and placed it on the dashboard. "That's cheating," she teased.

Clint smirked. "This was supposed to be Melinda's car. She gave it to me," he replied, looking at his girlfriend. "The permit was given to me because of medical grounds. It's under Melinda's name but I use it when I need to."

Natasha leaned over the middle console and kissed him, her hand coming up to cup the back of his head. He responded enthusiastically, smiling against her lips. When they eventually broke the kiss, Natasha rested her forehead on his. "When you asked about what happened in Moscow," she started.

"Tasha, you don't have to tell me," he whispered.

"You were honest with me," she replied. "I don't feel like I owe you. I don't feel like you've pressured me into telling you. I want to be honest. And you've repeatedly shown that I can trust you."

Clint took her hands in his, watching her carefully as he waited for her to tell him what she needed to tell him.

Natasha took a deep breath. "When I was still in the orphanage in Moscow, I started dating one of my fellow orphans, Alexei. We went out for about six months before his so-called friends decided that he wasn't sharing the goods enough," she confessed to him. "One day, Alexei and I were coming home from my dance recital. His friends, part of a gang, attacked us. Pulled a knife and threatened to kill me if Alexei didn't let them have their way with me. He didn't. So when he moved and broke two of the men's arms while I took care of another two, their boss shot Alexei. Cold-blood shot to the heart. Then the leader proceeded to try and rape me but the gunshot had been heard, alerting police and the gang fled as they arrived. Alexei died in my arms."

"Tasha," Clint whispered, bringing his hands up to cup her face, not knowing what words to say as tears gathered in her eyes but didn't fall.

"That's why I don't like gangs of boys standing around, cat-calling and making lewd comments," she continued. "It's why I don't trust the majority of men I meet. Because they could be exactly like those bastards in Russia."

"Come here," he whispered. It took some manoeuvring but Natasha managed to nimbly climb over the middle console into his lap. He pushed the seat back as far as it could go to allow her comfort as she straddled him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, holding onto him as she shook; she didn't cry but the shakes coming from her were enough. Clint pressed his lips to the top of her head before resting his cheek against her. He didn't bother saying anything because no word would be enough for her; they had both gone through hell.

Natasha clutched onto Clint. Other than Maria and Nick, no one knew what had happened to Natasha that night. Now Clint knew as well. But instead of running for the hills, he had pulled her into his arms and held her tight, as if letting her go would physically hurt him.

Eventually, Natasha pulled back and wiped at her unshed tears. "Thank you," she whispered, looking him in the eye.

Clint smiled back at her softly but she could see the empathy in his eyes. "I've got you," he promised. "Whatever you need from me, just ask and I will do my best to do it for you."

Natasha returned his smile and leaned forward to kiss his lips chastely. "Likewise, moy Yastreb," she whispered as she pulled away.

Clint pecked her lips again before nodding his head to the school. "We should go in before your mom or dad pulls us up on being late," he stated, half serious.

Natasha grinned. "Well, if you want me to come with you to a cabin, on our own," she started, "I guess we should be on our best behaviour."

"Precisely," Clint agreed, returning her smirk. He opened the door so they could climb out, grabbing their bags from the back seat. Natasha interlaced her fingers with his as she let him lead her in the back way of the school. They made their way to their lockers to retrieve their books for class before making their way to the classroom so they wouldn't be late. After all, it was the last day before Christmas break…

* * *

Natasha shook her head as Tony and Steve argued over one thing or another. She turned to Clint who was glaring at the two of them.

"Damnit, Steve, it's a party. Everyone is going. Eva could convince Bucky to go. Hell, Sharon could want to go. But you're too damn thick to fucking realise that Sharon is afraid that you're going to get killed someday if you join the Army!" Tony finally shouted, making everyone in the cafeteria turn and look at the two.

Natasha and Clint shared a look; that is why Sharon and Steve had been tense around each other for the past three weeks.

Steve looked as if Tony had slapped him across the face with a metal bar. "Thanks, Stark. Why don't you keep reminding me of the very reason my girlfriend broke up with me last night?" Steve replied before storming out of the room.

Clint and James glared at him. "Thanks, fuckhead," James grunted before running after his best friend.

Tony turned to Natasha and Clint. "Am I the only one who didn't know about that?" he finally asked, looking like Steve had punched him in the stomach.

Natasha shook her head. "He didn't tell either of us. But that would explain why no one has seen Sharon today," she answered. She looked at Clint. "We can't blame him if he didn't know," she stated.

Clint closed his eyes and sighed. Then he looked at Tony. "You have a lot of apologising to do," he told the genius.

Tony nodded, looking up when Pepper entered the cafeteria. "Don't kill me," he greeted.

Pepper just shook her head and sat down. "Sharon's been pulling a Clint and Natasha. Can't find her anywhere," she stated. "She's in but avoiding all of us."

Natasha looked at Clint before looking back at the other two. "I'll find her," she stated, getting up and walking out of the cafeteria. She headed straight for the one place most of their group would never look; the roof.

Sure enough, the red-head found the blonde sitting on the roof, headphones on and eyes closed.

Natasha slowly approached her, making enough noise to alert Sharon she was there. Sharon's eyes flew open and she relaxed when she realised it was Natasha. "What's up, Nat?" Sharon greeted, taking her headphones off and stopping the playlist she was listening to.

"You know running away doesn't solve anything?" Natasha replied as she sat down in front of Sharon, crossing her legs Indian-style.

Sharon bit her bottom lip and twisted her head to look over Natasha's head. "He's made his decision. That doesn't include me. I said goodbye before he could hurt me," she finally answered as she looked back at the red-head.

Natasha noticed the way her voice cracked at the end. "It still hurts," she stated.

Sharon smiled weakly. "A wise woman once told me that in life you're always going to lose people you care for. It's how you deal with it that counts," she stated. "I said goodbye before he could hurt me; I showed my cards as did he."

Natasha shook her head. "Hurting yourself isn't dealing with it, Sharon," she replied. "Hurting Steve isn't dealing with it. Is breaking up with him the best option you have?"

Sharon pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. "It's the only option that I can see right now."

Natasha moved so she was sitting beside her. "You're the year behind Steve in school," Natasha started. "You two have been seeing each other for two years. Apart from James, you are Steve's best friend. You are each other's confidant. Is that worth throwing away just because you two had a fight over career choices?"

"I'm afraid that one day I'll wake up to a call that he was killed in action because of his damn self-sacrifice martyr complex," Sharon replied. "I… I'm not invincible. Steve's not invincible."

Natasha nodded in understanding. "I get that. But is the pain of seeing him every day and not knowing what could have been… That's going to scar you more than you think."

Sharon sighed. "And feeling like he doesn't give a damn about what I think is just as bad."

Natasha leaned back; well that did complicate things. "Want me to kick his ass for you?" she offered.

Sharon let out a broken chuckle. "He's pure muscle. Even if you did beat him up, I don't think it would hurt him that much," she commented. "But thank you for the offer, Nat."

Natasha turned to her. "James is going to kill him after he's done consoling him," the red-head commented…

* * *

Clint found Steve and James in the gym, Steve currently beating the shit out of a punching bag. "You know how we are the stoic two in our group?" Clint greeted as he stood beside James, the two of them watching Steve. "Should we now consider Steve one of us too?"

James looked at the archer. "He hurt her. She responded by breaking up with him. He's an idiot," he stated. "Fucking idiot. Why would he not fucking tell his girl that he had applied to join the army after school?"

Clint watched Steve angrily punch the bag as his whole body shook. "Because he didn't want to say goodbye."

"Have you seen Sharon?" James asked, loud enough for Steve to hear him. "She's been ignoring everyone in our group of friends today."

"Tasha went looking for her," Clint replied. "See if she can convince her that we're not going to turn on her because she responded to Captain America being a jerk by breaking up with him."

Steve immediately stopped punching the bag. "You two are not helping me," he stated, turning to look at them.

"You didn't tell your girlfriend that you had applied to join the army after school!" Clint replied as if it was so obvious what Steve had done wrong. "What do you think we were going to do?"

Steve rested his head on the punching bag. "She hasn't returned any of my calls or texts," he stated brokenly. "I don't know what to do."

Clint and James looked at each other in surprise; Steven Grant Rogers, Captain America, was not one to be unsure like this. He was not the one to be broken. He was the one everyone looked to. He was the rock for everyone else.

Clint text Natasha; _we have a problem. Steve's breaking down._

 _How bad?_

 _He doesn't know what to do. His words exactly._

 _Lovely. Sharon's not much better._

 _Plan of action moya pauk?_

 _Lock them in a room together until they kill each other or make up. One or the other._

 _And how are we going to do that?_

 _Get them to go to Phil; he is the school conselor after all._

 _Like couple therapy?_

 _Except Phil isn't going to be there for their talk._

Clint turned to James as Steve walked over to his towel. "Think it will work?" he asked quietly, handing James his phone.

James smirked. "Your girl is clever," he commented. "Let's do it."

Clint text Natasha; _Text Phil. Bucky and I will get Steve to his office._

 _Perfect. I'll work on Sharon._

"Oi, punk," James shouted. "You're going to see Phil. Whether you like it or not."

Steve turned to look at them. "I don't think Phil can help me with this?"

Clint raised an eyebrow at him. "You're going. You think you can take on Bucky and me together?"

Steve sighed. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed.

James and Clint shared a look; this would go do well…

* * *

"Come on. What damage could it do?" Natasha asked as she walked with Sharon towards Phil's office.

"Re-open wounds I don't want opened again?" Sharon replied.

"Suck it up, Carter. You can't have everything your own way," Natasha replied as they arrived at the office. "Think of this as punishment for avoiding your friends because you responded to Steve being an idiot by breaking up with him. We're not going to isolate you because of it."

Sharon shook her head and entered the office, freezing as the door closed behind her and only Steve was in the room with her.

"What are you doing here?" they asked at the same time, making Natasha, Clint and James snicker behind the closed door.

"They're going to murder us," Clint commented as he locked the door.

"You two are going to talk if it's the last fucking thing you do!" Natasha shouted at the former couple through the door. She turned to look at Clint and James. "How long shall we leave them in there?"

"How long will Phil be gone?" James asked. "Let them out when Phil comes back from the meeting."

Clint chuckled. "That'll be so funny," he commented. "Let them try to explain that with a straight face."

Natasha smiled. "And who said Tony was the bad influence in the group?"

 **Thank you to everyone for the support (and I apologise for the long wait for an update).**

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **CapHawkWidowThorIronHulk: Thank you :) Hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **Avengingprincess: Yes, I am Irish :D**

 **ElsaTheSnowQueen2: Thank you :) I hope you enjoyed the scenes in this chapter too :)**

 **Guest: Thank you :) I hope this was as good as the last chapter :)**

 **ScarlettBarton: What did you hit?**

 **Princess2016: Thank you :) I hope this was just as good :)**

 **Kate: Thank you :) Hope this was as just as good :)**

 **Sith Shadow Stalker: I agree that this could be quite amusing for parents reading it :) Thank you :)**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: The conversation between Sharon and Steve, and their relationship, will be fully displayed in their story in this universe, "Please Don't Leave Me"; if anyone is interested.**


	8. Learn To Love Again

**HAPPY BITHDAY, CLINTBARTONSGIRL92! (This is a week early to avoid clashing with my exams :)**

 **Chapter Eight: Learn To Love Again**

Clint, Natasha and James made their way back to the cafeteria just as Bobbi and Lance arrived.

"What happened?" Bobbi asked when she noticed their smirks.

"We locked Sharon and Steve in a room until they sort out whatever it is that made them break up," James answered.

"They broke up?" Lance and Bobbi asked at the same time. "When?"

"Last night," Natasha responded. "Steve has applied to join the army after school. He didn't tell Sharon. And now she's afraid he's going to get himself killed."

Bobbi brought her hand to her face. "Is Steve an idiot?" she asked.

"Just when it comes to girls," James stated with a shrug of his shoulders.

Lance chuckled. "Who's office did you use?" he asked.

"Phil's," Natasha and Clint answered at the same time.

"Oh, that is going to be so fun to see how Phil will react when he finds them," Lance stated.

Clint smirked. "Phil knows. He's planning on giving them an ear full," he replied.

"And I will check on them before Phil arrives. If I don't hear screaming and shouting, they're either making out or one of them has killed the other," James commented.

"More likely Sharon to kill Steve rather than Steve even thinking of hurting Sharon," Bobbi commented, making everyone look at her. "He is a gentleman when it comes to her."

"Except, you know, not telling her that he's joining the army while she is finishing high school," Clint stated. "I'm surprised Sharon didn't kill him last night."

"Oh, she might have well have done that to him last night," James stated, earning raised eyebrows. "She basically told him that if he valued being a hero more than he valued being with her, then he showed that he had lied about their whole relationship."

Natasha and Bobbi looked at each other before looking at the boys. "What else was said?"

"Steve said that she should support him and let him explain. But Sharon replied that it was better for them to go their separate ways before he became another person who hurt her and left her on the sideway," James replied. "Then she avoided all of our group until Natasha found her."

Bobbi looked at Clint when he opened his mouth. "Don't," she warned him.

Natasha and James raised an eyebrow as Lance looked sheepish.

Clint raised his arm and pointed at Lance. "He made you do the same thing. Except you didn't come to school at all," he stated.

"I've already apologised a thousand times," Lance mumbled sheepishly.

Bobbi glared at Clint. "Thanks, Arrowboy," she hissed.

Clint didn't bother to look apologetic. "I'm just pointing it out. I threatened Lance, you two made up. We," he stated, pointing his thumbs at Natasha and James, "locked Steve and Sharon in a room so they could sort out their problems."

Bobbi made to shout at him but Lance stopped her. "That is actually a fair point," he commented. "Make them face their problems rather than run from them."

Natasha looked at Bobbi before looking at Clint. "Bobbi's going to murder you, Yastreb," she commented.

James looked at Natasha. "Why are you calling Clint 'Hawk' in Russian?" he asked, making her eyes widen in surprise.

"How do you know Russian?" the red-head asked.

James shrugged his shoulders. "My dad was Russian. He and my mom never married so I took her name," he explained. "My father was killed in the line of duty for the Russian army before I was born."

"I thought your mother was Irish?" Lance asked, confused.

"She is Irish," James replied. "She has the wooden spoon and rules the neighbourhood we live in, mainly of Irish heritage with that same spoon."

Bobbi and Clint shook their heads. "How did we derail from the conversation we started on?" Bobbi asked.

"Because Natasha didn't know someone else spoke Russian apart from Fury, Hill and Mel?" Clint replied, looking at the red-head in question. "Your petname for me is the Russian for the shortened version of my nickname?"

"Don't push your luck, Barton," Natasha warned half-heartedly.

Bobbi chuckled. "He'll use his puppy dog eyes on you as well," she stated.

"You say that like he doesn't do that already," Natasha replied.

"Hawkboy is getting picked on now," James teased.

Clint glared at him. "Don't you have to go check on Steve and Sharon," he commented.

James looked at his watch. "If I'm not back for next class, tell Eva I love her," he stated before making his way back towards Phil's office.

"Steve and Sharon are going to rip him a new one," Lance commented.

"Not if they get 'caught' by Phil first," Clint stated. "Speaking of which, we have ten minutes before class. Did you two eat?" he asked Bobbi and Lance.

"We got food while we were out. Lance was chaperoning for me," Bobbi answered.

Clint raised an eyebrow but couldn't ask anything further when Natasha tugged on his hand. "Come on," she told him. "We need our books for next class."

Bobbi shot Natasha a grateful look as the red-head led Clint off to their lockers. Clint looked back as Lance led Bobbi away to a room before looking at Natasha. "What do you know that I don't?" he asked as they made their way to their lockers.

Natasha looked at him. "It's not my place to tell you," she replied as she opened her locker. "It will have to be Lance and Bobbi who tell you the truth."

Clint turned Natasha to face him, backing her up against the lockers when he checked no one was looking. "Are you keeping secrets from me, Miss Romanoff?" he whispered huskily.

Natasha grinned at his actions. She brought her hands up to his neck, her fingers curling through the stray hairs at the nape of his neck. "Would I do that to you?" she whispered.

Clint cocked his head to the side, smirking as he leaned forward and kissed her deeply. Natasha gasped in surprise at his actions, her hands treading through his hair. They had made a thing for no major public displays of affection over the past two months. But this? This was new.

Eventually, Clint broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "You gonna tell me now?" he whispered.

Natasha smirked. "Maybe," she whispered. "Or maybe I need a bit more convincing?" she whispered.

Clint leaned back in to kiss her again but just as his lips brushed over hers, they heard a cough behind them. Clint turned to find Maria watching them with a smirk. "You know there are rules against this?" she stated.

Clint and Natasha both blushed. "Yes, ma'am," they replied.

Maria crossed her arms over her baby bump. "Phil also mentioned Christmas Break in the Hudson Highlands. Still want to go?" she asked.

Natasha and Clint looked at each other before looking back at Maria. "Yes, Mom," Natasha replied, noticing Clint tensing beside her.

Maria smirked at the two teenagers. "Your father and I will talk about it, Nat," Maria stated calmly. "Until then, go back to the roof if you want to make out at school," she instructed before making her way down the corridor.

Natasha started laughing and shook her head. She turned to Clint who looked very pale. Cupping his face, she pecked her lips softly before pulling back to look at him. "You okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah," he replied, placing his hands on her hips. "I think your parents are going to kill me," he commented.

Natasha grinned. She brought her hands up to his hearing aids, tracing the material with her index fingers. "I won't let them," she promised, making him grin slightly.

"I don't want them to think I'm like those in Russia," he whispered.

Natasha shook her head and kissed him again. "You're the opposite," she whispered into his mouth.

The first bell rang, making them pull apart as students began to fill the corridor. Natasha grabbed the books she needed as Clint grabbed his bag. He took her hand in his as they made their way through the corridor to their next class, their fingers intertwining….

* * *

Natasha paused and turned to Clint as they arrived at her house. "Do you want to come in for a few hours?" she asked, making him raise an eyebrow at her.

"Are you sure?" he replied as he parked the car. "I don't want to impose on your family."

Natasha smiled at him. "I already asked. They don't mind," she told him.

Clint smiled and shook his head at her. "Were you planning in trapping your yastreb in your web, Widow?" he teased.

Natasha smirked and cocked her head to the side. "You would never know," she promised, leaning forward and pecking his lips softly.

Clint grinned and followed her out of the car. "Do I need the change of clothes in my gym bag?" he asked as he grabbed his schoolbag.

Natasha tilted her head in thought. "Are they clean?" she replied. When Clint nodded, she added, "Then you can bring them in just in case."

Clint grabbed his gym bag and locked the car before following Natasha into her house. He took out his phone and text Melinda that he would be with Natasha for the evening. His mother replied, "Have fun."

Natasha took his gym bag and threw it upstairs before leading him into the living-room. "Want anything to eat?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Surprise me," he replied, looking around the living-room. He paused at the mantel piece, looking at a picture of Natasha practising karate.

Natasha walked into the living-room after putting on pizza. Maria had text her that they were going to bring Tyler out for food for winning a prize at school, asking did she want to come. But she had replied that herself and Clint were going to have pizza at the house.

"Don't misbehave," Maria told her, making the red-head blush slightly.

She found her boyfriend looking at one of her pictures on the mantel piece, the one of her practising karate. "What do you think, Yastreb?" she asked, making him turn to look at her.

Clint smiled at her as she walked over to him. "You're very good," he whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are we having?" he whispered as he brushed his nose along hers.

Natasha smiled at his actions; when they were along, he got very cuddly with her. "Pizza Viennese," she answered.

Clint grinned and kissed her softly as she ran her hands through his hair. He brought one hand to cup the back of her head, his free arm anchored around her waist.

Natasha moaned into the kiss, her fingers tightening in his spiky hair. He walked backwards until his knees hit the couch, falling back onto it. Natasha moved with him, climbing into his lap and straddling him as they continued to make out.

Clint let Natasha balance herself on his shoulders, one of her hands cupping the back of his head as she angled his head upwards to deepen the kiss.

Natasha moaned and let him pull her closer, rocking her hips now and again when he did something playful with his tongue duelling hers for dominance of the kiss. It was a good thing her family weren't going to be home anytime soon; she didn't want them to see her making out with Clint on the family couch.

Clint moved his arm around Natasha's waist to place his hand on the middle of her back, pulling her closer to him. She grinned and broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against his as they breathed hard. "Hi," she whispered, trailing her hands through his hair.

"Hi," he repeated, moving his head so his face was pressed against her neck. "You smell good," he whispered from where his lips brushed over her pulse.

"So do you," she whispered, lifting his head to look him in the eye. She squealed in surprise when he flipped her beneath him on the couch. "I need to get the pizza," she stated before he kissed her again.

She moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist. She grinned into the kiss when he groaned into her mouth. He broke the kiss and buried his face in the crook of her neck, sucking on her skin.

She arched into him, moaning loudly as he nipped on her neck. "Clint," she gasped as he sucked on her skin, bucking her hips up against him.

He pulled away and grinned, smirking at her when she still panted. "I made sure it can't be seen," he whispered teasingly.

Natasha let out a laugh and shook her head at him. "Thank you," she whispered and he leaned up and kissed him softly. She pushed him off of her and went to check on the pizza while he stayed on the couch. When she returned with the pizza, she curled up beside him, sharing their food.

Clint kept an arm wrapped around Natasha's waist, pulling her close as she loaded Netflix and turned on the latest Madam Secretary. Natasha rested her head on his shoulder, smiling every time he commented that they could end up like Elizabeth and Henry.

"You know, you'd make a great Secretary of State," Clint stated, making Natasha snort against his shoulder. "You kick ass just like Elizabeth and do it your own way too."

"I don't think they'd employ a former Russian citizen in one of the most powerful positions in America," Natasha replied, leaning up and kissing his cheek. "But thank you for the vote of confidence," she whispered. "And you would make good arm candy too," she added cheekily.

Clint smiled and kissed the top of her head. She grabbed another slice and fed it to him. Clint moved his head and gratefully took the slice of pizza. Natasha chuckled at his enthusiasm; he was addicted to pizza.

Natasha rested her head head in the crook of her boyfriend's neck before he pulled her into his lap. She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. Clint lay down on the couch with Natasha on top of him. She curled into him, his arms keeping her from falling.

Thy fell asleep like that, neither hearing her parents and brother returning later that evening. Maria paused the minute she entered the living-room, catching Tyler before he could run in and disturb the two sleeping on the couch. "Go upstairs and get ready for bed, Ty," she ordered softly, pushing him towards the stairs as Nick entered behind her.

Tyler noticed his sister and her boyfriend asleep on the couch, making him grin before he raced up the stairs.

Nick raised an eyebrow at his wife before he walked into the living-room and found Natasha laying on top of Clint., asleep on his chest "Shouldn't we be angry?" he whispered to his wife.

Maria tilted her head before looking at Nick. "He's letting her touch him," she stated, making Nick look back at the teenagers. Natasha's hands were placed on Clint's chest, curled slightly around the fabric of his shirt. "He's never let anyone be like that with him," she pointed out. "Not even Mel and Phil can touch him. He's letting Nat touch him, while he sleeps. He trusts Nat."

Nick let out a breathless chuckle. "And Nat trusts him," he added. "We're letting her go to the cabin, aren't we?" he asked.

Maria grinned. "Yeah, we are," she answered before walking over and pulling a blanket over the sleeping young couple. She brushed a stray hair from Natasha's face and made her way back over to Nick after turning the television and Netflix off. "Let's go to bed, Old Man," she whispered, kissing her husband's cheek.

Nick raised an eyebrow and followed his wife upstairs just as Tyler came out of his room, holding up his arms to get Nick to pick him up. Maria smirked as Tyler curled sleepily into his father, Nick carrying their son into their room with them.

As he lay Tyler on the bed, he turned to Maria who was smiling as she watched them. "I'm still worried about Natasha," he told her.

Maria gave him a tight-rimmed smile. "So am I. But we both know Clint knows won't hurt her like that. He witnessed it as a child. He doesn't want to be his father," she whispered, cupping his face. "I think we can trust Natasha with Clint."

"We're not supposed to trust anyone with our kids," Nick whispered, his hands coming to rest on her baby bumps.

Maria smiled. "I know. But we are allowed to want them to be in relationships that they will be safe in. Natasha is safe with Clint," she whispered. "And our youngest is safe with me for the next three months," she added, resting her hands on his on her baby bump.

* * *

Clint awoke later, noticing Natasha asleep on his chest. He looked down to find her clutching softly on the front of his shirt. Instead of the feeling of thread he usually felt if someone was this close, he felt relatively calm and content; unused to the feeling but he wasn't afraid. He pressed his lips to his girlfriend's head, gently shuffling over in the couch to avoid her falling off him and onto the floor. Their legs were tangled under the blanket that had been placed over them.

Natasha stirred slightly when Clint moved, nuzzling her nose against the hard muscle of his chest. Then she realised where she was. She could feel Clint breathing beneath her. "You awake?" she whispered softly.

"Yeah," he replied, pressing his lips to hers. "You okay?" he whispered, tugging at the blanket. "Your parents are home," he added.

"I'm okay," she replied, moving her hands from his chest and pushing herself up to look at him. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Clint smiled. "Better than I have in a long time, pauk," he whispered before kissing her softly.

Natasha moaned into the kiss, parting her lips when he slid his tongue along them. She moved so she was straddling him, deepening the kiss. Clint brought one hand to cup the back of her head, his other hand placed on the small of her back. He felt her hands touch his shoulders as she lost herself in the kiss. He sat up and pulled her closer.

"We can't do anything more here," she mumbled into his mouth before breaking the kiss to rest her head against his.

Clint raised an eyebrow as he panted hard. "I wasn't expecting anything, Tasha," he whispered.

Natasha smiled, pressing her lips to his momentarily before pulling away again. "I'm just letting you know I'm okay with it when we do," she informed him. Gently, she took his hands and brought them to her ass. "I trust you," she whispered.

Clint pulled her closer as she cupped his face between her hands. "I trust you too," he whispered, kissing her again.

Natasha grinned and kissed him back, hard. When the need to breathe got too much, Natasha pulled back and climbed off of his lap. "Bedroom," she whispered when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Come on," she added, pulling on his hands.

Clint smiled and stood up, letting Natasha lead him upstairs. He grabbed his gym bag as they entered the room. "You can get changed in here. I'll go into the bathroom to change," she told him.

He pecked her lips before she disappeared into the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxers before pulling on the pair of shorts from his bag. He put his dirty clothes in his bag before he climbed into Natasha's bed, moving to the left and leaving room for his girlfriend. He closed his eyes and waited for his girlfriend to come out of the bathroom.

Natasha quickly changed out of her clothes and changed into one of Clint's T-shirt that she had stolen from him. She folded her clothes neatly and left them on the bathroom counter beside the sink. She quietly left the bathroom to find her boyfriend, lying in her bed, leaving space for her. She smiled at the sight of his hair sticking up in every random way. He had forgone a shirt so Natasha took her time to take in his barely hidden abs and his built biceps, both a result of the vigorous training regime he had set himself and his archery.

"See something you like, Tasha?" Clint asked, opening his eyes to look at his girlfriend. He paused in surprise when he saw what she was wearing; his old Iowa Hawkeye shirt. And that was it. At least, all he could see. Her pale firm legs were bare to his eyes.

Natasha couldn't help but smirk when she caught Clint's eyes wandering down her legs and not focusing on her breasts. She strutted over to the bed, putting an extra sway to her hips. She pushed Clint back down by his arm when he rose to meet her. "Down, Yastreb," she teased, pecking his lips as she snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Mmmm. I like this," he told her, pulling her closer to him. He nuzzled his face into her hair, sighing in content when she relaxed in his arms He almost jumped when she pushed her feet in between his legs. "Jesus, Tasha. Did you put your feet in an ice cooler before getting into bed?" he asked as he pulled back to look at her.

"Shut up," she mumbled, closing her eyes and listening to Clint's steady heartbeat. She slowly rolled so Clint was spooning her, smirking smugly when she heard his breathing hitched as she pushed her ass back against him. "Go to sleep, Clint," she murmured, even though she was smirking at him.

Clint groaned. "Troublesome," he muttered, pulling her closer. He interlaced their fingers, pressing his lips to the back of her head. "Good night, Tasha," he whispered.

Natasha smiled. "Good night, Clint," she whispered…

 **Thank you for the support. I have my semester finals the 13** **th** **, 19** **th** **, 20** **th** **, 21** **st** **and 24** **th** **, so I will not be posting much within the next two weeks. So I hope you can all bear with me.**

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **Guest: Thank you :) I hope she continues to be savage :)**

 **KittyCatChibi: Thank you :) Cabin will be chapter ten to chapter twelve ;) Christmas is next chapter :)**

 **ElsaTheSnowQueen2: Thank you :) They'll work through it, don't worry :) They will be getting locked in rooms a lot :D**

 **Princess2016: Thank you :) I hope you enjoyed this too :)**

 **NaraMorris: Here is more :) Hope it was worth the wait :)**

 **ClintBartonsGirl92: Thank you :) I updated. It's an early birthday present :) Thank you :)**

 **DarylDixon'sLover: That good or bad?**

 **Spencerhyam: Thank you :) The Steve/Sharon is up :)**


	9. Christmas Day

**Chapter Nine: Christmas Day**

Clint sighed as he looked around his room, indecisive what to get his girlfriend. Giving up, he sunk down on the bed, taking out his phone. He text Bobbi, ' _What do you buy your girlfriend for your first Christmas?_ '

Bobbi's reply was quick. ' _I don't know, I never had a girlfriend. I know what to buy my boyfriend though, if you need advice for that ;)_ '

Clint groaned. ' _Funny. Please, Bobbi. I don't want to mess this up._ '

' _Okay. What doesn't she like?_ '

' _Guys being assholes to other people_.'

' _Then how is she dating you?_ '

' _You're such a pain in the ass._ '

' _I know :) What are her interests?_ '

' _Ballet. Martial Arts. Languages. Cooking._ '

' _Okay. I think she'd have all her Martial Arts equipment. You're only good at writing languages and sign language. Why not buy tickets for a ballet?_ '

Clint tilted his head as he looked at the text. ' _Isn't the Nutcracker on at the moment?_ '

' _As far as I know, yes._ '

' _Thank you, Bobbi. If you haven't told Lance yet, you should Christmas Day._ '

' _I don't know what you're talking about._ '

' _I have eyes. You're pregnant. Congratulations :)_ '

' _Why do I bother hiding things from you?_ '

' _Because you think I will use Lance as target practice. I won't in this circumstance._ '

' _Thank you._ '

Clint moved to his laptop, clicking on the site for the tickets, thankful that he made enough money at the local archery range to pay for the tickets himself.

His phone buzzed as he confirmed his order. He unlocked his phone, smiling at the sender's name.

' _What day are we leaving for the cabin?_ ' Natasha asked him.

' _Saturday or Sunday,_ ' he replied. ' _Backing your bags already?_ '

' _I like being prepared ;)_ '

' _Should I be worried for my virtue, Sweetheart?_ '

' _Bring condoms._ '

Clint's eyes widened in surprise. ' _Are you sure?_ '

' _I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't_.'

' _How many do you want me to bring, Baby?_ '

' _You're so sure of yourself, Yastreb. Bring as many as you can. We don't need any accidents right now._ '

Clint grinned. ' _What do you want for Christmas btw?_ '

' _Something small. That'll remind me of you._ '

Clint raised an eyebrow at her text. ' _Okay. Anything that I shouldn't buy you?_ '

' _An actual arrow._ '

He chuckled. ' _Yes, ma'am. I promise not to but you an actual arrow for Christmas._ '

' _Thank you. I promise that you'll like your present too._ '

' _See? You're already the best girlfriend ever :)_ '

' _I know._ '

That got him thinking. He shut down his laptop and walked downstairs, grabbing his wallet as he moved. Melinda and Phil looked up when he entered the room. "I should be back within the hour," he informed them.

Melinda and Phil looked at each other before looking back at their youngest son. "Everything okay?" she asked, watching her son carefully.

Clint smiled. "Yeah. Just need to pick something up for Tasha," he replied, earning cheeky grins from his parents. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," he called as he made his way out the door.

He got into his car and drove to the nearest shopping distract, a plan already forming in his head. Parking, he made his way to the shop a friend of his worked at.

"What are you doing here, Barton?" Sam asked the minute Clint stepped into the shop.

"I'm looking for a present for Natasha," Clint replied, making Sam smirk at him. "Any ideas?"

Sam thought for a minute before nodding with a grin. "I do. But she might kill me. And you," he informed the archer. "Come over here," he added, pulling out a box from under the front display unit. "I think you'll agree with me."

Clint smiled as Sam opened the case. "Perfect," he told Sam and looked up at the other young man. "How much?"

* * *

Tyler rested against Natasha as their family drove to the May-Coulson's house for Christmas dinner. The red-head smiled at her little brother, Tyler being slightly tired from playing with all the toys he got for Christmas.

She looked down at the present she had gotten Clint, wrapped in deep purple wrapping paper.

It was made up of two items; a beginner for Russian book and a basic arrowhead maker kit.

"You two okay back there?" Maria asked from the passenger seat, looking back at the two kids.

Natasha nodded, smiling when Tyler lifted his hand with his thumb sticking up. The red-head pressed her lips to the side of her brother's head. "You're the best big sister ever, Nat," Tyler stated, still holding onto the present Natasha had bought him; Anakin Skywalker's lego fighter from the third episode of Star Wars.

"You're the best little brother ever, Ty," she whispered softly.

Nick and Maria shared a smile just as they pulled up into the May-Coulson's driveway. They climbed out, Tyler running over to his godmother when she opened the front door.

Maria and Nick joined their son as Natasha was greeted by Clint with a quick peck to her cheek. "Hi," he whispered as they entered the house.

"Hi," Natasha replied, smiling as she took in her boyfriend's appearance. He was wearing a deep purple shirt and black jeans. "You look good," she whispered so only he could hear her.

Clint grinned. "So do you," he whispered, looking over her black dress and red wrap coatigan. As their families exchanged Christmas greetings, Clint took Natasha's hand and the two sneaked up to his bedroom. The minute the door closed behind them, Clint pushed her against the door, kissing her deeply. Natasha moaned into the kiss, keeping his present in one hand while the other buried itself in her boyfriend's hair.

Clint eventually pulled away, grinning when he spotted the present in her hand. "Your priorities are in the right place," he whispered, pecking her lips again before leading her over to the closet where he pulled her present from one of his hidden slots. He turned around and handed the wrapped present to her. "Happy Christmas, Tasha," he whispered.

Natasha smiled and kissed him again, slipping her present into his hands. "Happy Christmas, Clint," she whispered against his lips before slowly pulling away. "Aren't we supposed to open these under the Christmas tree?" she teased.

Clint shook his head and looked down at the present in his hand. "What did you get me?" he asked, looking back up at her.

Natasha smirked. "You have to open it to find out," she told him, holding up the present he handed her. "What did you get me?"

"Something you'll like," he promised with a nervous grin. "On three?"

Natasha nodded, curious about Clint's nervous grin. "One. Two. Three." They both opened their presents at the same time, Natasha's eyes widening in surprise at the two tickets for the Nutcracker and a jewellery box. She immediately looked at her boyfriend who was grinning at her and holding up the book while inspecting the arrowhead kit.

"Clint?" she breathed, eyes wide with shock. "How?"

"You like ballet," he replied. "You once told me that it reminded you of when you used to watch your mom teach it to the kids in her ballet studio," he explained. "You said it was one of your good memories of her."

Natasha bit her bottom lip before hugging her boyfriend, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you," she mumbled against his chest.

Clint hugged her back. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "The ballet tickets are better than what's in the jewellery box," he whispered into her hair.

Natasha pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him before opening the box to reveal a silver necklace with an arrow pendant, making her breath catch in her throat.

Clint watched her carefully, not wanting to say anything before she did.

Natasha ran a finger across the silver chain before pulling it out of the box. "Put it on me?" she asked, handing it to Clint.

Clint placed his own presents on his desk before taking the chain as Natasha turned around. He brought it up to her neck, smiling when he did the clasp. He placed a soft kiss against the nape of her neck above the clasp of the necklace.

Natasha smiled and turned back around to face him. "I love it," she told him.

Clint grinned and kissed her deeply. Natasha squealed in surprise, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck. "Thank you," he whispered as he slowly pulled away from her lips.

Natasha grinned. "Thank you," she whispered, bringing her hand up to her necklace. He slowly backed them over to his bed, laying down on the bed and pulling her down on top of him. She nestled her head against the firm muscle of her boyfriend's chest, smiling as he brought his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Clint pressed his lips to the top of her head, feeling content to just lie there with Natasha. "Thank you for my presents," he whispered, making her grin.

"I thought I picked the right things," she answered, closing her eyes with a content sigh. "I know how you like to make your own arrowheads. And that you've wanted to learn Russian."

"Very practical thinking, moya pauk," he whispered, making her grin.

"Who taught you that?" she whispered.

"I looked it up," he answered, kissing her temple. "Needed a better nickname."

Natasha smiled. "And you always say you don't know how to do this properly."

Clint smiled weakly. "I'm bound to mess up some time, Tasha," he whispered softly.

Natasha lifted her head to look at him. "I feel safe with you," she told him. "I don't think about what happened to me in Moscow. I don't think about what happened to Alexei. I don't think about the fire that killed my parents. You've given that to me. You do so much for me that you don't know." She leaned down and kissed him softly.

Clint brought his hand up to cup the back of her head, deepening the kiss. Natasha moved so she was straddling his stomach, moaning into the kiss as she rested her weight on him. Clint's other hand moved to the small of her back, his hand holding her close to him.

Clint sat up as Natasha broke the kiss, moving his lips to the back of her left ear, sucking on the soft, sensitive skin there. The red-head moaned at the sensation, her hands automatically falling to his biceps as he sucked on her skin. "Clint," she gasped, her eyes falling closed in pleasure.

"Yes, Tasha?" he teased. "You like that?" he added, pulling back to look at her.

Natasha nodded before placing her hands on his neck and kissing him again, her lips parting as he slipped his tongue into the kiss.

Someone knocked on the door, making the young couple pull away from each other. "Clint, get your ass downstairs before Mom and Dad catch you!" came Barney's voice from outside the door.

Natasha chuckled as Clint groaned. She pressed her lips to his, grinning. "Come on, Yastreb," she whispered as she climbed off his lap. "I'm hungry," she added.

Clint grinned and took her hand in his, leading her back downstairs after they both fixed themselves up. Barney smirked at them when they entered the living-room, Ashley's head lying on his shoulder. Ashley smiled kindly at the younger couple, elbowing her fiancée when he made to make a comment.

Maria and Melinda looked at them as they walked into the kitchen. "Did you get your make-out session over and done with?" Melinda teased.

Both Clint and Natasha blushed slightly.

"Well, that answers that question," Maria stated, grinning at the young couple. "Are we sure letting them go tomorrow is a good thing?"

Natasha groaned at her mother's teasing. "Mom, shut up," she told Maria half-heartedly, making the latter grin at her. "You two take way too much joy from this."

Clint noticed the look on his mother's face. "They're planning something," he stated, making Natasha turn to look at him. "They have their scheming faces on."

Maria and Melinda shook their heads. "You have such faith in us," Melinda commented.

Clint noticed Skye and Grant were nowhere to be seen. "Where's Skye and Grant?" he asked.

Phil chose that exact moment to walk into the room. "I'm gonna kill the two of them," he told his wife before making a beeline to the stairs.

Melinda raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Skye's going to kill you," she told her youngest son who grinned in reply.

"Pretty sure Dad's gonna kill her first," he replied before Barney shouted for him and Natasha to come out to the living-room to watch the show.

Natasha interlaced her fingers with Clint's and led him back out to the living-room. Clint sat down on the love seat before pulling Natasha into his lap. She curled up against him and smiled as he pressed his lips against the back of her head, his hands finding their way to rest on her hip protectively.

Skye stormed down the stairs with Grant quick on her heels, the former glaring at her brothers. "Which of you is the biggest asshole?" she asked her brothers as their father joined them.

Barney and Clint both pointed at each other, grinning cheekily at their little sister.

Skye made a noise of protest and walked out into the kitchen, Grant following her.

Barney turned to Clint. "You're a bastard," he teased his younger brother playfully.

Clint grinned back at him. "So are you. Technically," he shot back with a grin.

Ashley and Natasha looked at each other before looking at their respective partners. "What?"

"We were both born outside marriage," Barney explained with a shrug. "Mom only married the freak after Clint was a year old."

Ashley ran her hands through Barney's hair and kissed his cheek before he could get worked up about his and Clint's childhood. "You're not there anymore," she whispered in his ear.

Barney turned his head and nodded, closing his eyes as she did so, resting his hand on her stomach.

Clint raised an eyebrow at his older brother but said nothing. Natasha had twisted in his arms, her head resting under his chin. She was using her left hand to play with his hand, her right on her necklace. He pulled her closer, pressing his lips to the top of her head. She lifted her head and kissed him, her left hand coming up to cup the back of his head.

Clint tightened his hold, smiling as he broke the kiss, rubbing his nose along hers. She smiled and closed her eyes, content to just let him hold her if it meant that he didn't have to think about his father and his childhood.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch, content to hold his girlfriend close until dinner was ready. He felt on top of the world when he was with her. He wasn't sure if he was ready to let someone see him vulnerable again. But Natasha wasn't just someone else…

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **Princess2016: Thank you :) I hope this was just as good :)**

 **ClintBartonsGirl92: Thank you :) Happy birthday :) Hope this was just as good :)**

 **Yastrebfan991: His mom learned Russian from his father and they lived in Russia until James was seven :) (Sorry, I forgot to mention that small piece of information)**

 **NEXT CHAPTER: PART ONE OF CABIN (LOVING) TIME FOR OUR FAVOURITE TEENAGED COUPLE ;)**

 **You won't (possibly) hear from me until the 26** **th** **May; I have exams until then.**


	10. If It Ain't Love?

**I'M BACK! ;)**

 **Updates** _ **should**_ _ **be**_ **regular from now until August. Note the '** _ **should be**_ **'. No concrete promises**

 **Thank you, Katie-Kate, for the Russian translations :)**

 **Warning: this chapter does contain consensual, safe sex between two responsible eighteen-year-olds who are not virgins and they loss their virginity about two years before the events in this chapter.**

 **Chapter Ten: If It Ain't Love?**

Clint smiled as he drove them to his father's cabin. Natasha was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat, wearing one of his hoodies, head tilted towards him.

As he pulled up in front of the cabin, Natasha opened her eyes to look at him. "We here?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah," Clint replied, smiling at her sleepy form. "You sleep okay?" he asked, lifting his hand to push some hair from his girlfriend's face.

Natasha smiled and nodded, leaning into his touch. "Yeah; you have a nice singing voice," she commented, pressing her lips to his palm.

Clint smiled wider. "Yeah?" he whispered, leaning closer to her. "I have other nice things," he whispered huskily.

Natasha grinned and closed the distance between them, kissing him. "Stop thinking with your khuy, Yastreb," she whispered seductively against his lips.

Clint smirked against her lips before pulling away. "I promise I'll put it to good work," he replied with a grin.

She shook her head at his antics before they climbed out of the car, snow crunching under their feet. Clint grabbed their bags from the boot of the car while Natasha grabbed the two bags of food from the back seat. He led her up to the cabin, opening the door for her.

Natasha's eyes widened in surprise as she looked around the cabin. Outside, it was built with logs and looked like an average cabin. On the inside, however, was a completely different story. It had modern, white interior with the latest appliances. The back wall over looked the Hudson River. The red-head turned to her boyfriend. "Wow," she told him as he put their bags on the floor and walked over to her.

"My dad used to work for Tony's dad. Built this place as a getaway. Especially when my panic attacks used to get really bad," Clint explained as he enveloped Natasha in a hug.

Natasha hugged him back. "Thank you for bringing me here," she whispered against his chest.

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Want me to show you around?" he asked.

Natasha pulled back and smiled up at him. "What would that entail, Mr. Barton?" she asked cheekily.

Clint's hands found their way to grip Natasha's hips lightly. "Whatever you would like, Ms. Romanoff," he answered.

Instead of replying, Natasha kissed him hard. Her hands ran through his hair as he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. "Bedroom," she mumbled against his lips.

Clint nodded and carried her to his room in the cabin, the one closest to the back glass wall. He had enough thought to grab his bag with the condoms – his mother had handed him another box as they left that morning – and bring it with them.

Once they were inside the room, Natasha begun tugging on the hem of his shirt. He set her down on her feet again before pulling his top over his head. He kissed her again as his own hands found the hem of her hoodie – his hoodie that she had stolen from him.

Natasha broke the kiss so she could pull her hoodie, t-shirt and camisole over her head, making Clint grin knowingly at her. "It's cold outside," she stated as she dropped the clothes at their feet.

"And you're hot," he replied, closing the distance between them so he could kiss her again.

Natasha moaned into the kiss as Clint pressed his bare chest against hers. He slowly moved them backwards until her knees hit the mattress. She leaned backwards and pulled Clint down on top of her, letting out a puff of air as he landed on top of her.

He broke the kiss and kissed his way along her neck, smiling as he noticed she was still wearing her necklace. "Do I leave this on?" he whispered against her pale skin before nipping playfully.

"Yes," Natasha replied.

Clint smiled and begun moving further down her body, kissing along the tops of her breasts, covered by a purple lacy demi-cup. "Did you wear this just for me?" he asked, looking up at her, his lips brushing her skin.

Natasha smiled back at him, running her hand through his hair. "I thought you would appreciate it," she replied before moaning as he leaned down and licked one of her nipples through the fabric of her bra. "Clint!"

Clint grinned and pulled the cups of her bra down so he could taste her skin in his mouth. She arched up into his touch. He wanted to learn every part of her; how to please her, where to touch, how to make her come.

Natasha gripped the sheets as he teased her nipples. When he sucked on one, he cupped and teased with his hand. "Like that," she moaned.

Clint grinned. Natasha was quiet but playful in general but right here, she was very vocal. He slid one hand under her back and undid her bra, slowly pulling it from her body. She helped him, grabbing the offending piece of fabric as it left her arms and tossed it in the general direction of the floor.

Clint smiled against her skin as his eyes met hers. "You are beautiful," he whispered, letting go of her right nipple with a loud, wet _pop_.

Natasha blushed further than the flush already covering her. "You're not so bad yourself," she replied, stroking a hand through his hair.

Clint smiled and leaned up to kiss her softly as his hands came to rest on her hips. "Tell me if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable," he requested as he rested his forehead against hers.

Natasha kissed him lightly. "So far, I'm looking forward to more," she whispered. She lifted her hips and undid her jeans. "But so far we have too many clothes on," she added cheekily.

Clint grinned and helped her pull off her jeans, noticing the lace thong she was wearing matched the bra she had been wearing before he climbed off the bed and let his pants drop to the floor. Natasha took his hands in hers and sat up to catch his lips with her own. He groaned into the kiss when Natasha pulled him to kneel in front of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slid into his lap. Clint's hands fell to her ass, pulling her closer.

He set her back down on the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist. She grinded her hips against his, making him moan into their kiss. "Tasha," he gasped into the kiss.

Natasha broke it and grinned at him. "I'm glad I have the same effect on you, Mr. Barton," she whispered huskily.

Clint grinned; she always brought up the Bond Girl joke. "You always have," he answered, kissing her deeply.

Natasha threw back her head as Clint dipped his, his lips finding the sensitive spot behind her ear. "Please," she begged as he marked her skin.

Clint's hands came to the hem of her thong. "Want you, Tasha," he whispered. "So much," he added as he kissed his way down her body once more.

"Yebat'!" she gasped as he settled between her legs. "Clint?"

"I want to go down on you, Tasha," he replied. "Can I go down on you?"

"Proshu," she moaned as he gently pushed her legs apart to allow room for him.

Clint grinned up at her before kissing along the insides of her thighs. Natasha watched him, thankful for the pile of pillows behind her, allowing her to watch him.

He nuzzled her through the fabric of her thong, grinning when he heard her breath catch in her throat. "You smell so good," he whispered against her.

"Clint, proshu," she begged.

"Yes, Tasha?" Clint whispered as he nuzzled the inside of her left thigh affectionately with his stubble-covered cheek while he left his hand rested on the waistband of her lace thong. "I can smell just how wet you are. I can't wait to taste you, Tash," he whispered against the skin of her thigh as he kissed the spot just above her sex tenderly.

Natasha leaned up on her elbows to watch Clint slowly pull her thong off, the red-head lifting her hips to help her. The Russian bit her bottom lip as she watched her lover nuzzle her mound with his nose, making her gasp as he hummed contently against her. It had been a while since she last did anything close to this.

"You smell so good, Tasha," Clint whispered before he gently ran his tongue along the length of her sex, making Natasha gasp and moan in pleasure at the sensation. He grinned against her as he slowly brought his right hand up to her entrance. He pushed his middle finger inside her, slowly opening her up for him.

Natasha moaned as she watched Clint lower his head again. He suddenly wrapped his lips around her clit, making her moan and gasp his name in pleasure at the sensation, tossing her head back as Clint worked her lower lips.

Clint pulled her right leg over his left shoulder, burying his face further into her cunt as he added a second then a third finger inside her, adding to Natasha's pleasure. "Clint. Yebat'!" she moaned as he pulled his lips away from her lower lips and crawled back her body with his three, now four, fingers still buried inside her cunt.

"Come for me, Natasha. I want you to come for me, moya pauk," Clint whispered softly, resting his forehead against hers, watching the red-head toss her head back in pleasure. "That's it, Natasha. Let go. I'll catch you," he coaxed.

Natasha cried out his name as she came hard, her walls clenching hard around his fingers. Clint pressed soft kisses all over her face as he coaxed Natasha through her orgasm. He slowly pulled his fingers out of her cunt and brought them up to his mouth, sucking her juices off his fingers, grinning and humming contently at the taste.

Natasha blushed at Clint's actions, turning her head away as she steadily regained her breathing. Clint chuckled and caught her chin gently, turning her head back so he could look her in the eye. "Hey, I wanted to eat you out," he whispered before bringing his lips to her left ear. "It was such a turn on to eat you out, Tasha," he added huskily, making her moan at the tone of his voice.

"I want you to fuck me, Clint," Natasha whispered as Clint peppered kisses along her neck and jaw, smiling against her skin.

"You want me to just fuck you?" Clint whispered as he allowed Natasha pull his boxers off of him. He groaned as she gripped him firmly. "Is that all you want?" he whispered huskily as he caught her lips softly.

"I want whatever you want," she replied honestly. "Grab the condoms," Natasha added as she reached down between them to grip Clint's cock, pumping him firmly, making him groan at the feel of her hand around him.

"You'll need to stop that, Tasha," he groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

She grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek before letting him go. "Yes, sir," she teased as he knelt back and grabbed the bag he had stuffed the box of condoms. He crawled back up the bed and kissed her, handing her the box. Natasha opened the box blindly and grabbed one of the condoms, ripping it open. She broke the kiss as Clint rested his forehead against hers. She reached between them and grinned when Clint's breath caught in his throat as she rolled the condom onto him.

"Feeling okay, malyshka?" she teased cheekily as she slowly stroked him.

Clint groaned loudly as she cupped his balls. "Tasha," he groaned.

Natasha kissed him again. "Zaymis' lyubo'u so mnoy, Clint," she whispered against his lips.

He nodded and helped her position his cock at her entrance. It was slightly awkward, given it was their first time together.

Natasha whimpered at the feeling of Clint's cock stretching her cunt slowly. He bared his weight on his elbows, her legs coming to wrap around his waist as he slowly bottomed out inside her. She brought one of her hands to cup the back of her boyfriend's neck, his forehead pressed against hers.

"Whenever you're ready, Tasha," Clint whispered as he rubbed his nose along hers. "I'll move when you tell me to," he promised, bringing one hand to stroke his thumb over her bottom lip.

Natasha smiled up at Clint as she sucked his thumb into her mouth, grinning at him cheekily as he moaned lowly in response. She bit down on the pad of his thumb tauntingly before wincing slightly and closing her eyes as her walls adjusted to his bigger-than-average size.

Clint noticed Natasha's closed eyes as she waited to become adjusted to having him inside her. He slowly took his thumb from her mouth and brought his hand up to brush a few sweaty locks from her face, keeping his eyes locked on her face. "You're so beautiful, Tasha," he whispered softly, making Natasha opened her eyes to look at him with a surprised look. He kissed her softly, smiling when she moaned into the kiss.

Natasha brought her hands to the back of his neck, holding his lips firmly to hers as she slowly began to rock her hips against his, both of them moaning in pleasure at the feeling. "Clint," she gasped into his mouth as his cock moved inside her, making her throw her head back in pleasure. Clint broke the kiss and brought his lips to her chest, switching between sucking and nipping on both of her nipples.

"Krasavitsa," Clint whispered against Natasha's chest, smiling as her nails dug into the skin of his neck as they rocked together towards their climaxes. "Fuck. Natasha. You're so fucking tight around me," he groaned loudly against her left breast.

Natasha caught Clint's neck and pulled him up to crash her mouth against his, kissing him hungrily as he brought his hand between them. His thumb easily found her clit, rubbing rough anti-clockwise circles around it. The red-head moaned into his mouth as she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, her fingers trailing through his sweaty hair. She broke the kiss, both teenagers panting heavily as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Clint. Chyort, ya blizko," Natasha moaned, closing her eyes as her walls tightened further around Clint's cock.

"Come for me, Natasha," Clint whispered as he brought lips to Natasha's ear, smirking as he heard her breathing hitch in response. "Come on, Tasha. Wanna feel you come around me. Come for me, Natasha," he whispered huskily.

His words sent Natasha over the edge. She whimpered Clint's name as she came hard around him. Clint continued to thrust into her, prolonging her orgasm. She moaned and cried out as each thrust hit every sweet spot inside her, bringing her hands to Clint's shoulders, her nails digging in as he made her see stars.

Clint didn't register Natasha's hold on him. Instead, he hooked his arms under Natasha's thighs, pulling her legs up over his biceps as he continued to thrust deep inside her. Natasha shouted his name in pleasure at the new angle. Clint sucked on the skin of her neck, grinning when he felt her walls tighten around him again.

Natasha moved her head so she could breathe huskily in his ear, "Come for me, Clint. Want to feel you come for me."

Clint nodded and brought his left hand between them, pinching Natasha's clit in between his index finger and thumb. Natasha cried out as she came again suddenly, her spasming walls pulling her lover into his own orgasm, shouting her name as he came.

They collapsed onto the bed, panting heavily. Clint rolled them so Natasha lay on top of him. They both breathed heavily as they came down from their highs, listening intently to each other's heartbeat. "Fuck. Natasha," Clint whispered, unable to find the right words. He pressed his lips to Natasha's sweaty forehead, smiling against her skin as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. He gently pushed her sweaty locks from her face.

Eventually, Clint got up to take care of the used condom, bringing Natasha back a glass of water after he switched the heating from automatic to manual. She gratefully accepted the glass, leaving some for him. He had brought back some sandwiches as well. He handed her the plate and walked over to the TV and putting on a random Disney film, _Milan_ , before making his way back over to the bed and climbing in beside her after handing them to her.

She curled up against him, pressing her lips to his. "Thank you, Yastreb," she whispered as she pulled back.

Clint smiled and kissed her again. "Whatever you want, moya pauk," he whispered.

Natasha grinned and broke the kiss, resting her head in the crook of his neck, both watching the movie.

* * *

 _(Could use a little love)  
(Why can't you get enough?)  
(Could use, could use a little love)  
(Why can't you get enough?)  
(Could use...)_

 _Short days, long nights tangled up with you  
I don't wanna move  
Your eyes don't lie  
And if I needed proof, that body tell the truth_

During the movie, they moved barely, putting the plate on one of the bedside lockers. They lay tangled in the sheets, Natasha's head pillowed on Clint's chest. He had one of his arms wrapped around her waist. His other hand ran gently through her hair. Natasha's thigh was placed across Clint's groin as she lay peacefully on her lover's chest.

Clint smiled as he felt Natasha's breath against the bare skin of his chest. He rubbed his nose against her head, smiling as she sighed in content.

"You still smell good. Even after sex," she mumbled against his skin.

Clint chuckled. "So do you," he commented, pulling her closer to him.

Natasha opened her eyes and found a jagged scar near his sternum. She raised a hand before pausing before she touched him. Clint looked down and noticed where she was looking at. "The last scar my birth father gave me," he told her. "A week before he got himself and my mother killed. He pulled a knife. I got in the way. He cut along my sternum. But didn't stab me."

Natasha took a risk. She pressed her lips to the scar, letting her lips linger without touching him with her hands.

Clint froze under her touch as he took in his response to Natasha's action. He noticed the lack of fear he usually felt when someone tried to touch him. He felt unfamiliar with the calm, relaxed feeling he felt at Natasha's touch.

When Natasha pulled up and looked at him, Clint leaned down and kissed her hard. Natasha gasped in surprise at his reaction.

Natasha's body reacted to Clint's as he rolled them over so he was on top of her. He deepened the kiss as she brought her hands to his hair, pulling him closer to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning at the feeling of his cock beginning to harden against the apex of her thighs.

 _Your body is a blessing  
Don't know if I deserve it  
Before round two, I've got a question for you babe_

"I love you," he whispered against her lips, surprising the red-head. He pulled back, eyes closed, as he rested his forehead against hers.

Natasha cupped his face and kissed him again. "I love you too," she whispered into his mouth.

 _If it ain't love  
Why does it feel so good?  
Why does it feel so good?  
If it ain't love  
Why does it feel so good?  
Why does it feel so good?_

 _If it ain't love  
Why does it feel so good?  
If it ain't love  
Why does it feel so good?_

 _(Could use a little love)  
(Why can't you get enough?)  
(Could use, could use a little love)  
(Why can't you get enough?)  
(Could use...)_

Clint wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist, not bothering to hold his weight off of her. Her hands trailed through his hair as he kissed her. No one had ever made him feel this good.

"Condom," she whispered into his mouth, surprising him.

He broke the kiss and lifted his head, finding the box on the bedside locker. Looking back down at her, he grinned. "Are we ever going to get out of bed while we're here?" he teased.

Natasha arched up underneath him, grinning when his breathing hitched, his eyes trailing over the curves of her breasts. "Maybe you don't want us to leave this bed," she replied cheekily.

Clint returned her grin and leaned down. "You were singing praises for moy khuy earlier, Tasha," he whispered huskily, their lips a hair's breath away. "You like it that much."

Natasha grinned and closed the distance between them, kissing him deeply. She reached between them. "Then put your khuy to good use, Mr Barton," she whispered teasingly against his lips.

 _On the tip of my tongue  
The flavour of your skin lingers on my lips  
Each time we dine  
We do it again, again and again, ooh_

 _Your body is a blessing, oh  
What'd I do to deserve it?  
Before round three, I've got a question for you baby_

Clint bent his head and sucked her right nipple into his mouth, grinning when she moaned his name in reply. "Just my khuy?" he whispered teasingly when he let go of her nipple.

Natasha bit her lip. "For now," she whispered with a cheeky grin.

Clint grinned and kissed her. "I'm at your command, moya pauk," he whispered against her lips as he took a condom from the box. He ripped the package open and handed her the condom.

Natasha slid her hands down and rolled the condom down his length. "Put your cock inside me and fuck me, Clint," she whispered against his lips.

 _If it ain't love  
Why does it feel so good? (So good)  
Why does it feel so good?  
If it ain't love  
Why does it feel so good?  
Why does it feel so good?  
Tell me what it is_

 _If it ain't love  
Oh, babe  
Why does it feel so good?  
If it ain't love  
Then what is it?  
Why does it feel so good?_

 _(Could use a little love) Aw, yeah  
(Why can't you get enough?)  
(Could use, could use...)_

Clint groaned and let her position him at her entrance. "Tasha," he groaned as he slowly slid inside her.

"Clint!" she gasped, biting her bottom lip. It was still a bit of a stretch to take him inside her. But she knew, with time, it wouldn't hurt as much anymore. She wrapped one leg around his waist and let him set the pace.

He worked up a rhythm, his rocking against hers. He planted his elbows either side of her head, kissing her deeply before breaking away to moan her name loudly.

 _You know soon that you walk in, it goin' up, goin' up  
Slow it down for me, girl, we ain't gotta rush it, we ain't gotta rush it  
Always a movie, we ain't sayin' much  
Baby, I'm just your type; I know what bad girls like  
But I'll confess tonight  
Your body is a blessing, oh yeah  
What'd I do to deserve it?  
(Short days, long nights)  
Short days and long nights, yeah_

He flipped them over so she was on top, planting his feet on the bed as she leaned back, her hands coming to rest on his thighs.

Natasha moaned as she rocked her hips over his, her eyes locked on Clint's. "Yebat'!" she gasped as she brought one hand to play with her clit.

Clint growled at the sight, bringing one hand to her hips, his other hand going up to pinch and roll her nipples in time with her movements. He sat up and moved backwards till his back rested against the headboard. She whimpered at the change of angle. He leaned forward and took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking as her pace stuttered ever-so-slightly.

"Chyort!" Natasha exclaimed, tossing her head back in pleasure as she rocked her hips faster over his. "Zastav' menya konchit, Clint," she moaned as he let go of her nipple, grinning cheekily up at her

Clint cupped the back of her head and pulled her down for a deep kiss. "Come for me, Tasha. I know you want to," he whispered into her mouth. "Come on my cock."

 _If it ain't love  
(Why) Why does it feel so good?  
(Does it feel) Why does it feel so good?  
(So good?) Tell me what it is  
If it ain't love  
(Why) Why does it feel so good?  
(Does it feel) Why does it feel so good?  
So good? Yeah, yeah_

Natasha buried her face in the crook of his neck and screamed as she came hard around his cock. She rocked her hips through her orgasm, curling tightly into him.

Clint thrust upwards a few more times before her orgasm pulled him into his own. He spilled inside the condom, crushing Natasha to his body. They both collapsed to the bed, panting hard, their limbs intertwined. Clint's arm pillowed Natasha's head as they lay on the sweaty sheets.

Eventually, Clint got up to get rid of the condom before returning to the bed, crawling in beside her. Natasha moved to blanket his body with her own, pressing wet kisses along the length of Clint's jaw before kissing his mouth soundly. "Ya lyublyu tebya, moy yastreb," she whispered as she pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers. "Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu, moya pauk," he whispered. "I wasn't afraid when you kissed my scar earlier," he confessed, smiling happily at that piece of information as it left his mouth.

Natasha's eyes widened in surprise at his words. "Really?" she asked. She looked back down to said scar, her hand coming up to hover over it.

"Touch me," he whispered calmly.

Natasha bit her bottom lip, slowly resting her hand against his chest. Clint's breath stuttered slightly, but not in the way that suggested he was going into a panic attack – Natasha had seen five since she met him. He placed his hand over hers, smiling at her softly.

She kissed him softly in reply; a thank you for the trust he was placing in her.

Clint pulled her closer, grateful to the calm feeling he felt at her touch.

 _If it ain't love  
(Why) What is it?  
(Does it feel) What is it?  
(So good?)  
Why does it feel so good?  
If it ain't love  
(Why) Then what is it?  
(Does it feel) What is it?  
(So good?)  
Why does it feel so good?_

 **Yes; Clint has let Natasha touch him. He's safe in her hands. And vice versa.**

 **To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **Princess2016: Thank you :) Hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **Precious93: Thank you :) Hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **marvelousbones: Thank you :) And thank you for pointing out mistakes – please feel free to point anything else wrong :)**

 **ClintBartonsGirl92: Thank you :) I hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **Karinne: Thank you :) I hope this was worth the wait :)**

 **Translations are as followed:  
Fuck – Yebat'  
please – proshu  
baby – malyshka  
Make love to me – zaymis' lyubo'u so mnoy  
Beautiful one- krasavitsa  
Shit, I'm close – chyort, ya blizko  
Cock – khuy  
Shit – chyort  
Make me come – Zastav' menya konchit  
I love you, my Hawk – Ya lyublyu tebya, moy yastreb  
I love you too, my Spider – Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu, moya pauk**


	11. Author Announcement

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Sorry to everyone waiting for an update. I have been dealing with personal health problems which has left me unable to concentrate on writing anything that I have been happy with to upload. You all don't deserve some half-assed piece of work so I hope you continue to have patience until I can update something worthy of your time. I'm slowly bouncing back from the problems so I hope to update before the new semester starts in my college. I do have one story that may be published in the following week – it's been a stepping stone for me to get back into writing. Thank you for your patience and continuing support. I hope you don't all lose your interest in my stories while I continue to recover and prepare an update worthy for you all./p 


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